Quick Questions on reheating

Katgoddess

I've just deboned a thigh for my toddler and had a nibble. It's wonderful. :-)

Next time I'll put the green beans in during the last half hour as they are a bit soggy now.

Thank everyone.

ChapelGirl

Re the bones...

If you are making a casserole or other slow-cooked dish then meat on the bone is often better than off the bone. The reason is that the bone has a lot of flavour and richness which is brought out by slow cooking.

Also, the cuts which are generally cheaper and look fattier and/or have what look like stringy, tough bits are often better for casseroles than leaner, "nicer" meat, for the same reason.

We had Lancashire Hotpot last night (made from neck of lamb) and although we had one or two bits of bone and grissley bits which went on the side of the plate the sauce was rich and delicious.

lizzyshep

I know you're only supposed to reheat meat more than once, in case you give yourself food poisoning (though I'm not quite sure why it would). Anyway, I find this a bit annoying because it means I can't make a meal with leftover cooked meat, then reheat (or freeze) that meal to eat another time (I live on my own so it's not really worth just making one portion).

I noticed on Curry Queen's 'curry night' thread that she suggested using pre-cooked meat for curries, and I was wondering if this is what Indian restaurants do, since they often serve you very quickly. I was also reading about uses for leftover roast pork and people suggested using it in a chow mein or similar, so I wondered if this is what Chinese restaurants/takeaways do, since they are also often very quick.

It occurred to me that I have been reheating and eating leftover Indian and Chinese food for years and have never once got ill. If it is the case that they use pre-cooked meat, that means it will have been reheated twice by the time I eat the leftovers. So why shouldn't I reheat my own food more than once?

So - does anyone know if this is what restaurants do? And does anyone else reheat meat more than once, with no ill effects?

Thanks!

misskool

I reheat more than once but I have a good stomach. I make sure food is piping hot, and things have been boiling for a good 5 minutes.

I don't do it with meat too much as I'm getting better at preparing things in the right portions so they only get reheated once.

If I make a curry with pre-cooked meat, I will reheat once after it's been in the curry making the meat reheat twice.

A lot of people err on the safe side as food poisoning isn't pleasant!

CCP

lizzyshep wrote: »

I noticed on Curry Queen's 'curry night' thread that she suggested using pre-cooked meat for curries, and I was wondering if this is what Indian restaurants do, since they often serve you very quickly.

That's a really good point and hadn't occurred to me before - certainly if you have a chicken or lamb tikka-based curry then the meat will have been cooked then reheated in the curry sauce before it even reaches your plate. I know this as my pet cat once came home with a chicken tikka leg that he'd hunted down from the Indian takeaway under my flat, as they left the meat to cool down outside the kitchen door - I've never eaten anything from that takeaway since!

Like you, I have reheated leftover curry and eaten it the next day with no ill effects, largely becuase I have never previously made the connection that I'm eating meat that has already been reheated once (I'm feeling a bit daft now for not realising this :doh:).

I might now reconsider my basic rule of never reheating cooked meat. As misskool says, I think you're probably safe enough as long as the food is piping hot, and I certainly wouldn't risk reheating it again. I also wouldn't risk doing this for anything anyone else is going to eat - giving myself food poisoning is one thing, but I certainly don't want to poison anyone else!

Farway

I have reheated stews / casseroles for years and had no ill affects

It was done years ago, the old stockpot on the stove, everything in it and lasted week or so

I live on own like OP, & often bung leftovers in fridge when cooled, reheat in oven maybe a day or so later, then do it again sometimes, sort of "rubber" casserole /stew

lizzyshep

Thanks everyone. That's put my mind at rest regarding reheating twice - I will make sure it's all piping hot and won't feed it to anyone else!

Spirit_2

DD made the above for her supper last night (from scratch)- cooked more than she could eat so the rest went in the fridge . Can I reheat it in the microwave to have as a late lunch now?

WolfSong2000

Okay, I have a small dilemma...basically, I put some salmon fishcakes and chips (very healthy I know) in the oven for a late lunch...oven takes a while to cook, and so 30 mins later I went back only to find that someone (I share a flat with 4 other girls...joys of student digs) had turned the oven off, but not before the fish had started to cook.

Aside from being immensely annoyed (this is not the first time this has happened), I was wondering whether if I leave it in the oven I can reheat it in a few hours (have to dash out to meet someone now) or does it have to be thrown away? It's M&S fishcakes - a little treat to myself, but I am worried about re-heating it...

anyone have any suggestions?

aliadds

I would say reheat it to a high temp and it will be fine!