14 Best Recipes for Leftover Steak - TheDiabetesCouncil.com (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with tough steak that's already cooked? ›

Only do this if your steak is nearly unsalvageable but too wasteful to throw away. Cut it into 1-inch pieces, toss into the food processor with a drizzle of olive oil and turn it into a semi-pureed beef filling. You can use it in pies, add it to pasta sauces, or turn it into savory dumplings.

USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Bacteria can also grow on perishable food that has been left out at room temperature for over two hours or kept at a temperature lower than 40°F. Make sure to put your leftovers away as soon as possible. Cooked steak can last up to six months in the freezer, but it will dry out over time.

Is it Safe to Reheat Steak? Eating steak that is cold, or even room temperature, is perfectly safe, as long as it hasn't been in what the USDA calls the "danger zone" (the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F) for longer than 2 hours. (This is true of most any food.)

Bake at a low temperature. Heat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit—the lower, gentler temperature will help reheat the steak from the inside out while maintaining the juices. Reheat the steak for about 20 minutes.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.

Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days. After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

Generally, leftover steaks are safe in the fridge for about three days, given that you used the right techniques to store them. If you don't think you'll eat them in that amount of time, you can always place them in the freezer instead.

If you notice there's a sour or pungent tinge to the odor, then be safe and throw the steak in the trash. Check cooked steak for a slimy or fuzzy texture. Look at the steak to check if it has any white or green fuzz on the surface, which are signs of mold and spoilage.

“While fresh, never-frozen beef of varying aging times resulted in a juicier product, the previously frozen product was more tender,” Beyer said. “Ultimately, freezing beef does not positively or negatively impact the (consumer's) overall liking of a steak.”

How do you eat leftover steak? ›

There are plenty of uses for leftover steak that don't call for reheating it. Salad is a great option; Justin Chapple's Juicy Steak and Tomato Salad is one that calls for leftover steak; chef Sang Yoon's Flatiron Steak Salad with Thai Dressing is another.

They recommend placing a damp paper towel on top of the steak, using your microwave's medium heat setting, and heating the steak in 30-second intervals, while flipping it in between. The total time depends on the size and thickness of the steak, as well as your microwave, but 90 seconds to 2 minutes is a good estimate.

The problem isn't the steak: your mouthwatering New York Strip is in the fridge, waiting to be returned to yesterday's glory. But if reheated the wrong way, what was once a perfect medium-rare can be overcooked in no time. Steak can become tough, chewy and lose its flavor, leaving you with an unappealing piece of meat.

“I don't really like fillet, but I think fillet is a good choice for this, and it's pretty common in carpaccio because it doesn't have those pockets of fat. And skirt steak has a lot of that intramuscular marbling, but it's very evenly distributed—and it's just an easy, delicious cut.” Cold steak never felt so hot.

According to their recommendations, fresh steak can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It's crucial to check the expiration date or sell-by date on the packaging and ensure you consume the steak before that date. If you plan to store raw steak for an extended period, freezing is the best option.

Tips to Tenderize Cooked Meat

Thinly slicing or shredding the beef helps the meat break down faster. Braise or simmer it for at least two hours. Avoid dry cooking methods, such as frying or broiling, or using high-temperature cooking, as these methods can make the muscle fibers contract even more.

Marinate: Marinating your steak in acids or enzymes breaks down the fibers and tenderizes the steak. To marinate the meat in an acidic solution, add lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or buttermilk to your marinade and let the steak soak in it for thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the cut.

As you can see, there are many ways to turn a tough piece of meat into a tender one. Among the most practical for home cooks are salt, thoughtful knife cuts to shorten muscle fibers and increase surface area, pounding and massaging to break up tough muscle tissue, and the correct application of heat.

Place the meat on the bed and completely cover it with kosher or coarse sea salt. You can rub it in or just let it sit for approximately **15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes for thicker cuts). The salt breaks down the muscle fibers and connective tissue to maximize the tenderness and texture of the steak.