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Marengo, Iowa | from Flower Girl (an old Extension home economist - from the era when Extension still had such positions)
some things you just have to learn from Mom or thru experience ...
warming leftover beef is tricky - the less you do, the better it tastes
Two methods I use that seem to be acceptable to the farmers at my table:
One -- Make the gravy ... use Wondra flour and the recipe for white sauce on that box and add some beef extract or bouillon ... it's a breeze in the micro oven ... unless your family really likes the jar kind ... benefit: Wondra doesn't lump like regular flour and can be used in making sauces in the m-oven.
When the gravy is bubbly and hot, drop in the leftover beef, stir and let sit for a couple minutes (NO MORE NUKING) - the beef warms just enough but the flavor doesn't change. Tip: cover the container with a heavy kitchen towel or something to hold the heat in.
Two -- If it needs to rewarmed (there's a "crisis" out there to delay dinner), heat it in the microwave oven on low power (on scale of 1-10 this means at 2 or 3) for short spurts until it's at desired temp. NEVER allow it to bubble again. This toughens the beef and changes the flavor to something indescribably unpleasant. An instant-read thermometer is a good tool to get a handle on what's right - after a few tests you learn to gauge it yourself.
Of course, you follow the food safety guideline - don't let hot food sit out for over two hours. If a hot dish has to wait, do what you do when taking it to a potluck or to the field ... wrap it in a bath towel or put it in an insulated carrier to keep it hot. When finished and you still have some left that's too good to give to the dog, put it in the frig immediately - there's an old wive's tale that food should cool before refrigerating - delete that idea from your memory bank.
BTW - same goes for reheating pork ... | |
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Nuances of nuking leftovers
