Keeping your meat fresh for days, or even months after buying and preparing is an issue a lot of people have. Why buy an expensive prime rib, or meat if you don't know how to keep it fresh after a big dinner party? Well, I can assure you that you can have that first time flavor days later if you follow a few easy tips.
Your leftover meat best friend is going to be aluminum foil. Anytime you are re-heating anything, especially meat, you should always cover and wrap the meat tight with foil. This will lock in the moisture and keep it from over cooking, over drying, and burning the top. It's always a good rule of thumb to cover with a lid if you don't have foil on hand. Anything to keep it enclosed and lock in moisture will preserve the integrity of your meat. Another option to lock in your meat’s moisture would be to add a small amount of oil or liquid and form a tent with the aluminum foil. When reheating you should use a low temperature (165 F) and remove the meat when it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 F to avoid overheating. Your meat will continue to cook after it has been removed much like when you initially prepare the dish. Another option to reheat leftovers is to use a toaster oven.
Another tip is to try to eat the leftovers as soon as possible. If you store your leftovers properly, you can enjoy them 5 days later, but the sooner you do, the better it will be. Just like anything, there is always an expiration date. So, keep that in mind when you have a big expensive cut of meat you want to eat later. Try to find ways to re-purpose the meat with your leftovers. I like to use the meat to make my own stock or to put into soups. Sometimes, I will put the leftover meat on top of a salad. Just know, if you do freeze your meat immediately after the first time cooking it, you should thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge before you reheat them. You can reheat leftovers from frozen, but it takes longer. Once you thaw the meat, you should never re-freeze it. It's not safe to refreeze thawed meat. It also negatively effects the texture of the meat to freeze it, but a lot of people do it for the winter time. It will never taste as good as it would fresh from the butcher once you freeze or re-heat it.
Good luck!
Ingredients
Directions
Keeping your meat fresh for days, or even months after buying and preparing is an issue a lot of people have. Why buy an expensive prime rib, or meat if you don't know how to keep it fresh after a big dinner party? Well, I can assure you that you can have that first time flavor days later if you follow a few easy tips.
Your leftover meat best friend is going to be aluminum foil. Anytime you are re-heating anything, especially meat, you should always cover and wrap the meat tight with foil. This will lock in the moisture and keep it from over cooking, over drying, and burning the top. It's always a good rule of thumb to cover with a lid if you don't have foil on hand. Anything to keep it enclosed and lock in moisture will preserve the integrity of your meat. Another option to lock in your meat’s moisture would be to add a small amount of oil or liquid and form a tent with the aluminum foil. When reheating you should use a low temperature (165 F) and remove the meat when it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 F to avoid overheating. Your meat will continue to cook after it has been removed much like when you initially prepare the dish. Another option to reheat leftovers is to use a toaster oven.
Another tip is to try to eat the leftovers as soon as possible. If you store your leftovers properly, you can enjoy them 5 days later, but the sooner you do, the better it will be. Just like anything, there is always an expiration date. So, keep that in mind when you have a big expensive cut of meat you want to eat later. Try to find ways to re-purpose the meat with your leftovers. I like to use the meat to make my own stock or to put into soups. Sometimes, I will put the leftover meat on top of a salad. Just know, if you do freeze your meat immediately after the first time cooking it, you should thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge before you reheat them. You can reheat leftovers from frozen, but it takes longer. Once you thaw the meat, you should never re-freeze it. It's not safe to refreeze thawed meat. It also negatively effects the texture of the meat to freeze it, but a lot of people do it for the winter time. It will never taste as good as it would fresh from the butcher once you freeze or re-heat it.
Good luck!
Add Comment