By Rick A. Martínez, The New York Times
There are many reluctant turkey eaters out there. Deeming it bland or boring or both, they might begrudgingly eat it out of tradition or politeness. But when leftovers are being passed out at the end of the night, they’re nowhere to be found.
The truth is, blandness is a gift. Flavorless, moisture-deficient birds can be resurrected and even celebrated when bathed in a mind-blowingly delicious salsa — not the kind that lands on your table with a basket of chips, but rather one that’s long-simmered and used as a marinade, then cooked with the meat.
Two iconic Mexican dishes, birria and tacos al pastor, have exactly that, both defined by and celebrated for those qualities: birria with its spicy braising sauce and al pastor for its vermilion achiote (annatto seed) marinade.
Transforming leftover turkey into a birria de pavo is a much simpler process than a traditional goat birria, which was historically marinated in a ground chile sauce, wrapped in maguey leaves and slow-cooked in a pot sealed with corn masa until the meat fell off the bone. But because the bird is already cooked, there is no need to braise. Boiling the carcass in a chile-tomato adobo salsa that’s been thinned with water, then adding the shredded turkey to be warmed and rehydrated, yields a similarly rich flavor and texture. Serve this simple birria, with the broth or tucked into warm corn tortillas, alongside your favorite salsa or a leftover cranberry sauce bejeweled with a little onion and chopped jalapeño.
Al pastor has a long history in Mexico, stretching back to the 1920s and the arrival of Lebanese immigrants in the city of Puebla, who brought with them shawarma and its vertical spit, or trompo in Spanish. Eventually, pork made its way onto that spit, getting marinated in an adobo sauce built on achiote and dried red chile, then roasted with pineapple and onion.
But with leftover turkey, you can skip the spit and, in 15 minutes, have al pastor tacos. The adobo, made with guajillos, canned chipotles and leftover turkey stock, comes together quickly and easily. Just blend the peppers and stock until smooth, toss in shredded turkey and make the tacos. Top with your favorite salsa or use leftover cranberry sauce, canned pineapple and fresh habanero for a sweet-spicy counterpoint.
But if you really want to change up your Thanksgiving dinner, apply elements of these treatments to the centerpiece bird: Use the al pastor salsa to marinate a whole uncooked turkey (or its parts), rubbing it all over, then refrigerating it for a day or two. Place it in a roasting pan over a bed of sliced onion and sliced pineapple, and roast as you would a classic turkey. Or toss a can of diced tomatoes, chili powder or dried chiles, chopped onion, orange juice and a bottle of beer into a roasting pan and top with uncooked turkey parts; cover tightly with foil or use a lid if you have one, and bake at 275 degrees until the meat falls off the bone.
And the next time Aunt Rebecca or Riley from across the street offers you some turkey leftovers, take them, use these recipes and show them just how good they can be.
Recipe: Birria de Pavo (Turkey Birria)
Originally, birria was developed as a way to tame tough and gamey goat meat by marinating it in a rich and spicy adobo sauce then slow-cooking it until it was falling off the bones. The meat was shredded and served in bowls with the braising liquid (called consomé) ladled over top. The consomé-infused meat was put into tortillas with cilantro, onion and salsa and eaten with more consomé on the side or used as a dipping sauce. Because this recipe takes advantage of leftover turkey that is already cooked, the carcass is used to make a quick consomé flavored with canned fire-roasted tomatoes, dried chiles and spices. Add the shredded turkey at the end to warm it up and let it soak up all the flavor. For the salsa, use leftover cranberry sauce; homemade or canned both work great. If using canned and you have a choice between whole-berry and jellied, choose the whole-berry sauce — the salsa will have even more texture.
By Rick A. Martínez
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Birria:
- 1 large turkey carcass, plus any leftover turkey skin and any vegetables or herbs stuffed in the cavity (meat removed and reserved)
- 2 cups fresh orange juice
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 large guajillo chiles (about 20 grams), stemmed and seeded
- 2 large ancho chiles (about 27 grams), stemmed and seeded
- 4 chiles de árbol (about 4 grams), stemmed (and seeded for mild)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 dried or fresh bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick (canela or cassia varieties)
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt
- 4 to 6 cups coarsely shredded roasted turkey
For the Salsa:
- 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce
- 1/4 medium white onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
- 3 serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
- Salt
- Chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges, warm corn tortillas (for serving)
Preparation
1. Prepare the birria: Place the turkey carcass plus the skin and any vegetables or herbs stuffed inside the cavity (but not the meat) into a large stock pot and add just enough water to cover (about 12 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a vigorous simmer and cook uncovered.
2. While the turkey carcass is coming up to a boil, make the chile puree. In a large saucepan, add the orange juice, tomatoes, onion, garlic, guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, chiles de árbol, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, thyme and 2 1/2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes until the chiles are very soft. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth.
3. Add the chile puree to the pot with the simmering turkey carcass and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the braising liquid, or consomé, is very fragrant and the bones easily separate from the joints and other bones, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, make the salsa: In a medium bowl, gently stir together the cranberry sauce, onion, serranos, garlic, lime zest, lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt until completely combined. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if desired. Let sit, uncovered, for about 10 minutes so the flavors can meld. If desired, the salsa can be made up to 1 day ahead (the extra time will mellow its heat). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
5. Strain the consomé through a mesh sieve into a large bowl, stirring and pressing on the solids with a spatula; discard the solids. Wipe out the stock pot with a paper towel and transfer strained consomé back into the pot, add shredded turkey and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender and heated through, about 15 minutes. (Any dry turkey bits will absorb the consomé and magically become flavorful and tender.) Taste and season with salt if desired.
6. Divide the turkey meat among shallow bowls and pour some consomé over. Top with the chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing, cranberry salsa and tortillas to make tacos.
Tip
The turkey birria can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe: Pavo al Pastor (Sweet and Smoky Shredded Turkey)
The iconic tacos al pastor (shepherd’s style tacos) — made and eaten across Mexico and in the U.S. — are normally made with adobo-marinated pork steaks, flame-kissed on a vertical spit called a trompo and served with grilled pineapple and onion on corn tortillas. In this recipe, which takes advantage of leftover turkey, canned chipotles in adobo evoke the flavor of al pastor’s spicy adobo sauce, while the chipotles’ smokiness mimics the spit-roasted pork. Extra al pastor sauce can be used like a barbecue sauce to flavor cooked shredded meats like chicken or pork, or as a marinade for meat before cooking. For plant-based tacos, toss the sauce with roasted vegetables or brush over raw cauliflower, winter or summer squash, eggplant or mushrooms and roast or grill until charred and tender.
By Rick A. Martínez
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cranberry-Pineapple Salsa:
- 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh or canned pineapple
- 1/4 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Salt
For the Al Pastor Sauce:
- 1 1/2 ounces/42 grams guajillo chiles (5 to 7 large), stems and seeds removed (see Tip below)
- 5 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (for a milder sauce, use 2 chiles)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup turkey stock, pan drippings or chicken stock
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons achiote (annatto) paste
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon dark agave syrup or honey
- Salt
- 4 to 6 cups shredded roasted turkey or chicken, warmed
- Warm corn or flour tortillas and lime wedges (for serving)
Preparation
1. Make the cranberry-pineapple salsa: In a medium bowl, gently stir together the cranberry sauce, pineapple, onion, habanero, garlic, cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt until completely combined. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if desired. Let sit, uncovered, for about 10 minutes so the flavors can meld. The cranberry-pineapple salsa can be made up to 1 day ahead (the extra time will mellow its heat). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare the al pastor sauce for the turkey: In a medium saucepan, combine the guajillos, chipotles, garlic, turkey stock, orange juice, achiote paste, cloves, agave and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes until the chiles are very soft.
3. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Taste and season with more salt if desired. The al pastor sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.
4. Add turkey to a large bowl, pour the al pastor sauce over top and toss until the meat is completely coated. Taste and season with more salt if desired.
5. Top each tortilla with a few pieces of turkey and some cranberry pineapple salsa, drained slightly if necessary. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Tip
The weight of the guajillo chiles is more important than the number of chiles. The chiles in this sauce thicken it, similar to flour in a gravy. So, if you use 5 small chiles, your sauce will be watery, if you use 5 extra large chiles, your sauce will be a chile paste. But if you use 42 grams of chiles, your sauce will be just right.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
