On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 326

Seasonthefoodwithherbsandspicesthat
containantioxidantcompounds(chapter8).
Uselow-permeabilityplasticwrapstocover
themeat(saranorpolyvinylchloride;
polyethyleneissurprisinglypermeableto
oxygen),andeliminateairpocketsinthe
package.Eattheleftoversassoonaspossible,
andwiththeminimumdegreeofreheating
consistentwithsafety.Leftoverroastchicken,
forexample,tastesfresherwhenservedcold.
Maintaining Moistness If you’ve taken the
troubletocookameatdishgently,thenapply
the same care to reheating: it only takes
moments at the boil to dry out a good stew.
Bring the liquid alone to the boil, return the
meat to it so that its surfaces are exposed to
theboilverybriefly,andthenreducetheheat
andstirsothattheliquidquicklycomesdown
to 150ºF/65ºC. Then let the meat warm
throughatthisgentletemperature.
Safety As a general rule, leftover meats are


safest when refrigerated or frozen within two
hours of the end of cooking, and reheated
quicklytoatleast150ºF/65ºCbeforeservinga
second time. To be served cold, the meat
should be well cooked to begin with,
refrigerated quickly, and served within a day
or two, fresh out of the refrigerator. If in
doubt, it’s best to heat the meat thoroughly,

and compensate for the adverse effects on
taste and texture by shredding the meat and
moisteningitwithaflavorfulliquid.
Offal,orOrganMeats

Animalshavemusclesbecausetheynourish
themselvesonotherlivingthingsandmust
movearoundtofindthem.Andtheyhave
innards—livers,kidneys,intestines,and
otherorgans—tobreakdownthesecomplex
foodsandseparatetheusefulbuildingblocks
fromwastematerials,todistribute
nourishmentthroughoutthebody,andto