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.
Recipe: Birria de Pavo (Turkey Birria)
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.
Recipe: Pavo al Pastor (Sweet and Smoky Shredded Turkey)
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.
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