Should leftover meat be stored in cooking juices?

Should leftover meat be stored in cooking juices? - Cooked Food

I put some pork shoulder in the slow cooker along with water, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and spices. I then cooked it until it was falling apart. There's enough to last about a week.

Should the leftover meat be stored in the juices, or will the acids break it down too much? Would it be better to store the liquid in a separate container, and just spoon some over the meat before reheating?

meatstorage-methodslow-cookingpork


Best Answer

If not consuming right away, it is often recommended to allow meat that was braised to cool, and be refrigerated in its juices. For this reason, many recipes suggest making a braise a day ahead for better flavor. I don't think your concern is break down of the protein, as much as it is shelf life. If you are not going to fully consume the product within 3 - 4 days, freeze a portion of it.



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Quick Answer about "Should leftover meat be stored in cooking juices?"

If not consuming right away, it is often recommended to allow meat that was braised to cool, and be refrigerated in its juices.

What to do with meat juices after cooking?

So, what to do with them? Here are a few ideas:
  • Turn the drippings into a sauce to serve alongside the meat. ...
  • Toss it with roasted vegetables (or, even better, add chopped raw veg right to the roasting pan so that they can benefit from the drippings as they (and the chicken) roast.


    • Should meat rest in juices?

    Cooked meat should be allowed to \u201crest\u201d after cooking and before cutting. This permits the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. If you skip resting, you will lose more flavorful juices when the meat is cut.

    How should leftover cooked meat be stored?

    For cooked meat, let it cool completely (for a max of two hours) at room temperature, and then slice, shred, debone, or cut the meat as desired and store it in an airtight container in the fridge as directed.

    Can you keep meat juices?

    Absolutely! There is a lot of flavor in juices and drippings and they can be used at a later time for soups, gravies, stews, braising meats, etc. You will need to store it in the refrigerator or, for longer storage, in the freezer.


    I COOKED a Brisket for a MONTH and this happened!



    More answers regarding should leftover meat be stored in cooking juices?

    Answer 2

    Your braising liquid is now a delicious stock. Congrats! You certainly can store the meat and stock together, but the meat has no color and the result is too wet I find. The meat still has plenty of fat to be succulent on its own. I reserve the stock in the fridge and separate the lard. With the remaining stock I cook black beans. When I reheat the pork, I reverse sear the pork in the reserved lard. The meat simply won't dry out, it's too fatty.

    Answer 3

    I usually keep a part of the meat in the juices and reheat it that way the next day. Sometimes I divide the meat and liquid and have one portion in the fridge and one in the freezer.

    If I have enough meat, I will take some out of the juices and cool and/or freeze separately. Depending on the meat it can be used as is or has to go in a dish with a lot of liquid.

    You can see from that I feel you can do both, in and out of the juices and fridge as well as freezer.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Artem Savchenko, Min An, Gunshe Ramchandani, Kristya Nugraha

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