Recipes to Use Up Leftover Roast Beef (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with leftover overcooked roast beef? ›

A simple fix for overcooked meat is to dump it in your food processor with some olive oil, purée it, and use it as a stuffing for everything from hand pies and empanadas to dumplings and ravioli.

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.

To freeze cooked roast beef, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Label the container or bag with the date and contents. The frozen cooked roast beef can be kept in the freezer for up to 3-4 months without significant loss of quality.

Cut the roast into small chunks if you know it's tough, as this will aid in the softening process [2]. Shred the meat: Another option is to shred the tough beef roast, similar to pulled pork. Wait until the meat is cool, then use your hands to literally rip it apart, going with the grain.

Soup is a fantastic option for using leftover beef, and adding barley is a great option if you want to bulk it out. Beef and Barley Soup is great if meat is tough, but it's also a fab way to cook on a budget. Just make sure you cut your beef up small.

Mar 23, 2023

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.

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."

The USDA recommends consuming the leftover beef within three to four days after it has been cooked. It also recommends that you do not taste foods to determine if they are safe for consumption.

The best cut of beef for roast beef:

There's no single cut of beef that is necessary to make roast beef; some common cuts include top-round roast, top sirloin roast, bottom-round roast, and eye of round roast. We usually use a top-round roast, but a bottom-round roast would work too. If you're unsure, ask your butcher!

What part of the cow is the roast beef? ›

What part of the cow is roast beef? A tenderloin roast comes from the section of meat located between the ribs and the back end of the cow. The rump roast, eye round roast and bottom round roasts are taken from the back part of the animal above the hind legs.

Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price.

Poisonous microbes like bacteria are put into sleep mode by freezing. In simpler terms, it's almost impossible for most frozen foods to ever become spoiled in a working freezer. So, from a food safety perspective, your two-year-old meat is good to go. Thaw it, cook it, and enjoy it!

According to the USDA, frozen foods are safe to eat indefinitely.

Rare/Medium Rare

Oven: Fill an oven-proof pot halfway with boiling water, and place at bottom of your oven. Cover beef with foil and reheat in a preheated oven at a low heat of around 160C for 5-10 minutes.

Oven: Cover beef with foil and reheat in a preheated oven at a low heat of around 160C for 5-10 minutes. Microwave: Transfer roast and any juices to a microwave-safe dish. Cover with a microwave-safe steamer, and reheat using 30-second intervals on “reheat” setting.

If your crock pot roast is tough, it is possible you didn't use a boneless chuck roast, in which cases some cuts of meat will never become fall-apart tender OR more likely, you did not cook your beef long enough. If your pot roast seems tough, cook on!

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

Add Just Enough Liquid

This doesn't mean the meat should be submerged; a cup or two of liquid will be enough, since the cooker is covered and liquids stay trapped inside. If you want the dish to be saucy, or you're making a beef stew, add enough liquid to come about 1/3 of the way up on the meats in the slow cooker.