Leftover rib roast... what to do??
I have a fully cooked 5 lb boneless rib roast that I cooked up for Christmas dinner left over. There was a ton of food! It's just my husband, myself, and two small kids... we can't possibly eat that much in the next couple of days. Is there any way to freeze the roast? Or will it change the texture of the meat? How would it be recooked? Or would that ruin it? Any other suggestions? I'd hate to waste so much food. Thanks!!!
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We had a ton of standing rib roast left too--the butcher told my mother-in-law that we needed about a pound per person! I thought it was too much, but she was worried that we wouldn't have enough, so we bought 11 pounds for 10 people. We had about half left, and I can only eat so much, regardless of how delicious it was. Last night we had some improvised Phillies--sauted green pepper and onion with a little garlic, plus a small amount of beef stock to make it juicy. I threw in the thinly-sliced leftover roast to let it heat up then melted smoked provolone over the mix. We only had some ciabatta bread, but it was still delicious.
I ended up freezing the rest as per the suggestions on this board. I'm glad you asked this question! We try to only eat red meat a couple times a month, so I know it will last us a long time.
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if you want a yummy recipe for the bones- devil them. Make a mixture of mustard, dry mustard, molasses, worschestire sauce, tabasco and some white vinegar- brush over the bones, cover with panko bread crumbs, roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes..very rich, but great.
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I like to cut up the leftover meat and make either beef barley or vegetable beef soup. If there is enough leftover meat (at least a pound), I'll make a Peruvian dish called saltado, which is strips of meat, onions, whatever other veggies you like and french fries cooked with lots of garlic, pepper and cumin and served over rice. Yum!
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alanbarnes
Dec 28, 2008 10:25 AM
As others have noted, roast beef freezes nicely. But the more you slice it, the more it will be prone to freezerburn. A vacuum sealer is your friend here. Failing that, pop it in zip-top bags, squeeze out as much air as possible, and try to use it up quickly.
If you slice some up very thin and freeze them in 8-ounce or so portions, you can have a good sandwich in minutes. For reheating, I like to drop the sealed-up meat in a bowl and run hot tap water over it; the meat warms up nicely with no risk of overcooking.
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re: cjc519
alanbarnes
Dec 29, 2008 09:04 AM
Slice it however you'll want it sliced when you eat it.
The advantage to thin slices is that they tend to thaw more quickly, so you can go to the freezer at 11:50 and have a sandwich at noon. The disadvantage is that they freezerburn more quickly, so a vacuum sealer becomes more of a big deal.
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re: cjc519
alanbarnes
Dec 30, 2008 08:28 AM
I'm always surprised at how well things last in the freezer under vacuum. I recently discovered some tamales that were at least 3 and maybe 4 years old; they were fine. On the other hand, if you don't get a good seal, things get freezer burn pretty quickly.
That said, you're probably going to maintain full quality for at least 3 to 6 months as long as the seal is good. And with tasty prime rib, it shouldn't last longer than that anyway, right?
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BobB
Dec 28, 2008 09:59 AM
Our family tradition for leftover roast beef of any sort was to cut it into bite-sized pieces, then make a savory brown gravy and once it's done, gently warm the beef in it so as not to cook it further. Served over mashed potatoes this is comfort food heaven!
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I love hot roast beef sandwiches. I cut up the roast as thinly as
possible, put enough for one meal into sandwich bags,
double wrap and freeze. Also good for cold sandwiches,
stir-fry, stroganoff and oher dishes. I avoid overheating
to keep as much of the rare-meat flavor
as possible. -
I often make a "Philly" style "cheese-roast" sandwich when faced with the similar opportunity (I can't call it a dilemma!). Cut the roast as thinly as possible, and lay aside at room temperature whilst you thinly slice, and then fry up, some onions in butter. Once the onions have softened, turn on your broiler, and, taking a portion of baguette to your liking, cut that into halves. Toss the beef with the onions while you search for your favourite cheese (not Cheez-Whiz for this application!). Scoop the beef/onion mix onto each half of bread, top with cheese, and pop under the broiler until it melts. Squash the two halves together (I like to put a small amount of HP sauce on them first, but I'm Canadian..), and enjoy. Goes great on a cold winter night, especially if you have a favourite soup on the side.
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My English stepfather recalled that in his Edwardian childhood the Sunday "joint" was always returned to the table on Monday with the addition of mashed potatoes, which had been schmeared all over the (partially carved and eaten) roast, browned thus in the oven. This would certainly make all the meat well-done, after the second trip to the oven, but it's an interesting idea.
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It's cooked, I assume. I found a recipe for Roast Beef Manana a number of years ago in a California Wine Cookbook. Slice the leftover roast about 1/2 to 3/4 and freeze. Thaw it when you're ready.
Saute some onions in butter, Add some flour so it will make enough for a basis for a gravy and cook a few minutes. The gravy should cover about half the slice. Add a 1-to-1 ratio of red wine and beef broth and make into a gravy. Add the roast beef slices and heat through, about 3-4 minutes a side. a little Summer Savory and garlic adds a bit of panache. So does a dash of Worcestershire.
Nice with potatoes and french bread and some type of veg.
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re: FriedClamFanatic
Cooked it freezes well .My experiance is that special care with the the reheating ,so that it don't become tough and flavorless.One of my favorite reheats is with thin slices at near to room temperature as possible ,then placed between freshly toasted bread then quickly open the sandwich add condiments cheese e.v.o.s&p etc. then close sandwich you dont want to loose the heat.The heat will render the fat and increase the flavor.This is what I'm planning to eat soon.
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re: cjc519
lynnlato
Dec 30, 2008 11:11 AM
Yep, and it is very important to let it come to room temp before you quickly sear it or toss it around on a hot skillet a couple of times. Especially if you prefer medium-rare. I'd slice it thinly after you've warmed it.
Eat it on crusty rolls w/ melted provolone cheese and carmelized onions and a good slather of mayo. Mmmmm.
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As to freezing the roast, I have never done so, but it's a better alternative than wasting any portion of it in any way, If you were to freeze it, when you ultimately re-use the roast for another day, I would suggest you completely defrost in the refrigerator, which may take two days, then take out and let stand for a couple of hours before reheating at a low temperature of 215-225* to warm the roast. High heat will affect the temperature/doneness...which would be a shame. i have used this exact method with Pork Loin Roasts with little effect on quality on meats frozen for a short period of time(one week).
Our family's Beef Roasts were a Rib Eye and a Sirloin Strip for yesterday's festivities...both cooked to medium-rare, taken out at 135 and 130 degrees respectively. Reheating individual portions for later guests......one inch cuts in a fry pan on medium heat for 3. 5 minutes on each side.....warmed each cut up nicely enough without changing the original temperature or texture of the beef...only enough to warm the meat through.
For leftovers.....the ultimate Roast Beef Sandwich...or French Dip..meat sliced as thin as possible. Other suggestions include julienne slices for salads(Steak or Chef) or atop Ramen Soup bowls with Asian Vegetables.
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re: fourunder
Yum! In addition to the 5 lb roast we had a 7 lb roast, salmon smoked on the grill, homemade manicotti, meatballs, and a bunch of sides... all this for 15 adults, two of whom are vegetarian! Guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach when I made all of that food! Now I just have to lay off the chocolate and start on that French Dip...
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