Reheating turkey breast

[marthachick]

I need to cook a turkey breast for a church luncheon that will be held after morning worship. I was thinking of preparing it the day before any reheating it Sunday before lunch. Have you cooked a turkey breast the day before and done this without drying it out or it tasting nasty? If so, please share the method you used to cook and reheat.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I need to cook a turkey breast for a church luncheon that will be held after morning worship. I was thinking of preparing it the day before any reheating it Sunday before lunch. Have you cooked a turkey breast the day before and done this without drying it out or it tasting nasty? If so, please share the method you used to cook and reheat.

I haven't done just a breast, but I've cooked the whole turkey the day before Thanksgiving, carved it, and reheated it on Thanksgiving for a few years now.

Basically, for a whole turkey, cook as normal. Let rest before carving. Carve, and place in glass cooking dish (slices together) ladle some drippings over the top (or broth, if not enough drippings).

THEN, cover tightly with plastic wrap (as in directly on the meat) sealing as much as possible around edges. Cover pan with foil and place in fridge overnight.

Next day, remove meat from fridge, let rest 30- 45 minutes bringing it to room temperature. Heat oven to 350, remove plastic wrap from meat, separate slices slightly into a single layer, if possible, (add another spoonful of drippings/broth you still have on hand) and recover with foil. Put in oven for 30 minutes.

There are actually 2 methods for reheating, I use the second:

• FLASH REHEATING at a high temperature is a method often used by restaurants chefs. The concept is simple. Put room temperature food in shallow, covered pans, and put it in a 450 degree oven for approx. 7-15 minutes. It heats the food fast (in a FLASH) without cooking it further. This is the method I recommend if you don't need the oven set to a lower temperature for cooking other dishes at the same time.
• STANDARD REHEATING in a 350 degree oven is another option that normally will take 25-30 minutes for room temperature turkey to be heated through. This method is the best option if you have other dishes that need to cook in the oven at the same time at that temperature.

Either way, the important thing is to remove the turkey from the oven as soon as it's heated through completely without letting it overcook. Ovens and cooking times can vary, so I recommend checking on it about half way into the reheating process to help you gauge when to remove it from the oven.

 

[_19disnA]

Food tastes best when cooked and eaten the same day. If you have to cook it ahead of time, depends on how it will be served. Are you having cold sandwiches or serving it more like a hot dinner? Does the church kitchen have a deli-type slicer? That would make is much easier to slice thinly for sandwiches. I would prepare as you normally do then slice once it is done. Use a meat thermometer to tell when it is done to the proper temperature. Turkey tends to be dry if you overcook it. I think most who have problems try to guess when the turkey is done by looking at it which isn't a reliable way to cook something that large. Every turkey (whole or breast) cooks differently depending on the size/bones/etc. Let cool and then cover and refrigerate.

I would rewarm at the church in a very low oven with the turkey slices covered with foil. Use a small amount of fresh chicken stock to steam, since you don't want the result to be dripping with liquid. If this is something to be served hot, do you have access to any type of warmer/chafing dish? Those make it easier to keep food warm especially if for a very large group.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We've found that storing the meat in gravy is a great way of keeping it moist and flavorful. So, the bird gets carved, gravy is created using the giblets, and the meat is stored with the gravy after carving. We always store in glass or plastic. Turkey can have a chemical reaction with certain metallic substances, especially aluminum. It supposedly does more harm to the aluminum than the turkey, but I've found that it adds a metallic taste.

 

[Allison]

Crock pot with some broth.