Left-overs

[Old Butcher]

I often have quite a bit of left-overs (my wife says she isn't hungry) and wonder what creative ways others have found to deal with them. My most recent batch was a delicious convection baked boneless pork loin roast.

 

[Andy M.]

We usually either save it for a meal of leftovers if there's enough or one of us will have it for lunch the other day. With something like a pork roast, you can make Cuban sandwiches, tacos, chili, etc.

 

[Old Butcher]

This type of pork roast doesn't flake like a moist cooked one. It has more of the consistancy of a smoked ham product.
I was thinking of trying it in a salad and Cuban seasoning sounds good. Maybe with some nuts and even a little apple.

 

[Aunt Bea]

In the fall and winter I usually cook a feast once a week similar to the traditional Sunday dinners that I grew up with.

Then I freeze the leftover meat in meal size packages and plan a meal with it once a week until it is gone.

I usually have three or four things in rotation so it does not get boring.

I also make stock from any bones and meat juices so I can get a pot or two of soup out of the deal.

In the summer I more or less wing it and wait for the eating season to return!

 

[chopper]

A salad is a great way to use up leftover meat, or use it in fried rice.

 

[CWS4322]

Stir fry or egg rolls is how I use up leftovers from pork roasts like that.

 

[CraigC]

Leftover meats usually end up in pot pies. Smaller amounts generally become a lunch meal for one of us.

 

[Old Butcher]

Love the pot pie idea! I enjoy making them too. In fact I might make a pasty while I'm at it.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Leftovers, or how to use them is one of my favorite Quandries.

With a pork roast, I like stir fried rice ( be careful you don't make so much that this begat's it's own leftovers). Sliced hot roast sandwiches, with mash potatoes/ and gravy. You made gravy didn't you? Cold sliced sandwiches for lunch; Hash. with the last spoonful of gravy, some cooked and diced taters, onion, peppers or hot peppers, diced pork. Stir together, tamp it down flat in a slightly oiled pan and don't play with it until it gets crispy on one side, flip and finish.

I find beef pot roast, chicken and port butt more versatile than pork loin roasts for leftovers. These can be shredded as well as sliced and diced, and then can be used in more Mexican style dishes, Asian dishes etc. I like the consistency of diced and shredded more sometimes than sliced and diced. Mayber that's just me.

Salads are nice as a main meal, and you can use whatever sauce you think up, not just salad dressings.

 

[Old Butcher]

I bake 5-6 potatoes ahead so the hash sounds quick. I almost always use my left-overs for lunch and start fresh with dinner.

 

[taxlady]

When I make any kind of roast, I try to make enough to have leftovers. I use them as cold cuts. No strange chemicals in those cold cuts as opposed to the ones from the store.

 

[cjs]

Another idea is a stir-fry - saute garlic, cabbage, onions, bell peppers and shredded carrots until just bite-tender then toss in the leftover pork, diced, and toss with linguine. If you like spicer, you could add jalapenos or serranos to the saute.

Here's another idea - I'll just post the recipe since it will give you a better idea for quantities. it's from one of my cookbooks. Don't let the long list intimidate, everything goes together so fast - it is a great weeknight dinner.

Open-Face Hunan Pork Sandwich​

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Making use of leftover pork, ham, and bread​

While this is a wonderful sandwich, we also love the pork and sauce over rice, noodles and mashed potatoes ~ I think my husband would top a cookie with it. The sandwich is a take off of a recipe from my favorite magazine, Cuisine at Home.

1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 lb. julienned or thinly sliced pieces of leftover pork
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of crusty bread cut about 1-inch thick
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
Shredded lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Combine in a small bowl the Hoisin sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic sauce and rice vinegar; set aside. In a non-stick skillet, over medium-low heat, sauté the ginger in oil for 1 minute until it is fragrant; add the pork along with Hoisin sauce mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook just until heated through. Butter one side of each slice of bread; place on a baking sheet and brown in a 450° F. oven until nicely browned.

On four plates start layering with the slice of toast; divide the sliced pork between the plates; top with the shredded lettuce and the green onions. Drizzle any remaining sauce over the sandwich. Makes 4 servings.

 

[Rocklobster]

I am doing just that. Stir fry with leftover steak and broccoli. Fortunately, we eat our steak blue around here so there is lots of life(bad joke, I know) left in it for second cooking. I keep it simple and add, ginger, garlic, onion then a sauce made from water, cornstarch, oyster sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Served on a bit of rice or noodles....

 

[Snip 13]

You could chop up the pork and make pork and potato hash, slice the pork thinly and make pork and crisp salad baguettes, shred with some added shredded veggies and make spring rolls, add some fried mushroom, onions, paprika, sour or regular cream and serve with pasta, add some to scrambled eggs and serve for lunch etc. etc