Freezing cooked meat is an easy way to save valuable protein for a later meal and stem the complaints when leftovers of the original dish seem to last forever. (A now-unknown humorist once defined eternity as two people and a ham.) Whether you want to benefit from a sale on ground beef or save Thanksgiving turkey leftovers for a casserole, follow these steps to freeze cooked meat successfully.
Instructions
1. Portion meat for a specific later use so that you thaw only what you need. If your planned casserole calls for two cups of ground beef, divide the three pounds you cooked into two-cup portions and bag airtight.
2. Retain as much moisture as possible when packaging cooked meat for freezing. What we call freezer burn is actually excessive drying-out caused by exposure to the cold air in the freezer. Keep meat, such as a turkey breast half removed from the bone, in the largest pieces possible to hold in moisture. Add juices or drippings or even gravy from cooking to the freezer package to keep meat moist.
3. Make the packaging as airtight as possible to keep the meat in the best condition. Squeeze the air out of packaging by pressing down on plastic bags before sealing. If the meat does not completely fill your freezer container, add broth to cover it or fill the gap between the contents and the container lid with crumpled plastic wrap.
4. Thaw frozen cooked meat in the refrigerator overnight or place the sealed package in a bowl of cold water for several hours. Gradual thawing is best to help the meat retain its texture and moisture.
Tags: cooked meat, cooked meat, ground beef, keep meat