Leftover Turkey "Carnitas" Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to do with leftover turkey fat? ›

Left over pan drippings from your roast turkey can be poured off into a separate container and used later to flavour a host of dishes such as soups, stews and mashed potatoes. You can freeze them in ice cube size quantities and store them for months, adding a few to a casserole to lift the flavour.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

Dispose of it the Right Way

Pour the grease into a seal-tight container and throw in the waste bin. Some homeowners pour the grease down the drain or even the toilet. This can be catastrophic if the grease solidifies in the septic tank, leading to solid globs that clog the system.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the sliced turkey (cover with a damp paper towel) in a microwave-safe dish at 50% power in 1-minute intervals.

To not dry out a turkey, you need to add moisture when you reheat the meat. You'll see in our reheating methods that we add homemade gravy, chicken stock or butter to the turkey before heating it up low and slow. This ensures that juices in the turkey won't escape as steam when they're exposed to heat.

Whenever you make a Roast Turkey, don't toss the fat and juices that are left behind in the roasting pan. We love using these turkey drippings in gravy to achieve homemade results with minimal effort and no extra dishes needed.

The English term schmaltz is derived from Yiddish and is cognate with the German term Schmalz, which refers to any rendered fat of animal origin, including lard (more precisely Schweineschmalz) and clarified butter (Butterschmalz). English use tends to follow Yiddish, which limits its meaning to rendered poultry fat.

Though it's especially obvious in leftover fish and poultry, discerning connoisseurs can pick out the WOF bouquet in most reheated meats. These flavors are the result of a series of chemical reactions that begins with the deterioration of specific kinds of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs.

According to foodsafety.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following foods are safe in the fridge: Turkey: 3-4 days. Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days.

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

How do you reheat shredded turkey breast? ›

Place similarly-sized pieces of sliced, chopped, or shredded turkey in a saucepan with a little broth or gravy. Cook, covered, over low heat until heated to 165°F, stirring occasionally.

Save your pipes! Pouring cooking oil, poultry fat or grease into the kitchen sink or toilet can cause sewer backups. Visit Trash It. Don't Flush It. to learn more about how grease can impact the sewer system.

1) Allow the oil to cool down post-meal. 2) Then, pour it into an unbreakable, sealable container. 3) Seal the lid tightly and throw it away with the rest of your trash. 4) A post-cooking oil disposal dance is optional.

The fat in turkey meat is largely of the favourable unsaturated variety, with only a third being saturated. The exact amount of fat will, however, depend on how the bird was fed, with some plant-based feeds promoting a higher poly-unsaturated (omega-3 fatty acid) contribution.

Is it better to shred a turkey while it's hot or cold? It's generally easier to shred a turkey while it's still warm. Allowing it to cool slightly after roasting will make the meat easier to handle and shred.