Leftover night is a glory to remember for any child. And for mothers out there who may not have the time nor energy for a different dinner every night, it is the perfect compromise. The nostalgic leftover dinners can last a long time for struggling families and can create lifetime memories for them to share.
Beef stew can be reheated for as long as you would like, and you can do so by stovetop, crockpot, or microwave. The more often you reheat it, the more the taste and texture of the soup will fade. The best way to preserve the flavor is to keep the reheating on the stove, on a low heat.
How Do I Reheat Beef Stew The Right Way?
There are three ways to reheat the beef stew, each with its own convenience and losses.
1. Stove
Stovetop reheating has a lot of advantages, specifically the equal distribution of heat due to the stirring of the pot. When reheating on the stove, you can expect the same robust flavor of all the vegetables, spices, and meat. This is also the preferred method of larger families, as a big pot on the stove can cook a large quantity at once.
However, the downside of this method is time. This is because the beef stew must be put on low to medium-low while cooking, making it easy to get impatient. Anything higher has a high possibility of overcooking the meat and making it rubbery.
2. Crockpot
One of the most iconic kitchenware appliances of the 20th century is easily the crockpot for its convenience. Mixed with the ability to make wonderful meals with little preparation, it became a household staple overnight.
When reheating your beef stew in the crockpot, you can pout it in and set its time with its “warming” feature, with no worry until then. But, keep in mind that your crockpot may actually mess with the texture of the beef and the vegetables, often making the vegetables soften and the beef slightly rubbery. You also need to have a few hours to spare to use this method.
3. Microwave
If you’re only serving yourself, a microwave can be a very quick solution to reheat your beef stew. This method is perfect for college students who don’t want to leave their dorm late at night, or a person looking for a lazy night in. It would only take 1 minute to a minute and a half for the beef stew to be done.
The downside to this is that the microwave cannot reheat properly, and will often leave the middle cold even after stirring. The texture and flavor of the stew will be radically different due to the heat in the microwave, causing the vegetables to be extremely soft and the meat will be chewier.
Is Reheating Beef Stew Safe?
While you can reheat beef stew an infinite number of times, you should separate them into individual servings. This is because if you’re reheating the same bigger serving multiple times, your robust flavor will fall and become burnt.
Reheating individual servings of the stew can be done in multiple ways, most of which are very practical and quick. However, the different methods have different pros and cons that you have to consider when reheating.
With that in mind, you should not be reheating beef stew if it has been left out without a heat source for over two hours. Unfortunately, this will not be safe to eat regardless of hear applied afterward.
