Make leftover meats safe for next-day snacking.
Reheated cooked meat may not always be as juicy and tender as when it was originally cooked, but the prevention of food-borne illnesses should be your first priority when eating or serving leftovers. Food poisoning happens when food becomes contaminated with harmful bacteria. Proper cooking, cooling, storage and reheating all play a part in preventing the spread of mild or severe food-borne illnesses. Cool leftover meat in portions that are small enough to reach room temperature in less than two hours. Store in clean containers in the refrigerator and plan to eat your leftovers in four days or less. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
In the Oven
1. Place the meat in a clean, oven-safe dish. Never store or reheat meat in the same dish it which it was cooked.
2. Spoon a small amount of water, broth, sauce or gravy onto the meat --- just enough to moisten it slightly. If using leftover cooking liquids or gravy, first bring the liquids to a rolling boil, which is a boil that cannot eliminated by stirring.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheitoven. Cook it until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer --- this is the temperature recommended for all leftovers by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Service.
In the Microwave
4. Put the meat in a microwave-safe dish and moisten with fresh water or broth or boiled, leftover cooking liquids such as gravy or sauce.
5. Place a microwave-safe wrap such as waxed paper over the dish. Avoid covering the dish too tightly to allow openings for steam to escape. Cook on full power for one to five minutes, depending on the amount of meat you're reheating.
6. Allow the dish to stand for half the amount of time it cooked, and check the internal temperature.
Tags: cooking liquids, food-borne illnesses, internal temperature, leftover cooking, leftover cooking liquids