You've just cooked yourself or your family a unique, tender, perfect cut of steak to remember with tasty side dishes that paired seamlessly. However, these thick and juicy steaks were too much to finish, and now you have leftovers. You might as well toss them in a container into the fridge and heat them later, right?
You might wonder after the happy haze of a good steak has passed, what to do with leftover steak? Should you leave it as is and reheat it? How do you reheat it, so it is as good as it was fresh from the heat? Are there recipes or dishes you can make with leftover steak?
If you've ever encountered having to toss away leftover steak because of issues reheating or not knowing what you can do with it, we're here to help!
How to Reheat Leftover Steak
No need to toss out leftover steak when you can revive and reheat them properly. However, there is one challenge to reheating steak, it is easy to overcook when trying to warm it. That can quickly take an excellent medium rare to well done. Luckily, a proper way to reheat your steak is to maintain flavor and texture.
You can use an oven or a skillet, whichever works for you. Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure your leftover steak is almost as good as it was freshly cooked.
1. The Oven
The best way to reheat leftover steak is low and slow heat from the oven.
• Remove the steak from the fridge and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes or until room temperature.
• Preheat the over to 250 °
• Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and place the steak on top. This ensures the meat is evenly reheated on top and bottom.
• Place in the oven and back until the steak is heated through or a meat thermometer reads 110 °. How long to bake depends on the thickness of the steak, about 30 minutes per inch of meat.
• Let it rest for at least five minutes before serving.
While you can use the microwave to reheat your steak, we don't recommend it as it can be overcooked and dry very quickly.
Recipes Ideas for Leftover Steak
Want to do something different with your leftover steak? Here are some delicious ideas to turn leftovers into a new, exciting meal.
Steak Quesadillas
Combine your leftover steak with homemade or favorite guacamole, cheese, and flour tortilla. Chop the steak into small pieces before adding toppings to a tortilla and browning it in a pan. For extra flavor, before browning the tortilla, sprinkle the inside and steak with garlic powder, cumin powder, and chili powder.
Steak Hash
Leftover potatoes? Why not pair them with the steak for a fantastic steak hash? The great thing about making hash is that the process is simple, the ingredients don't need to be exact (just made to your taste preference), and it can be done all in one pan. Take your leftover potatoes and steak out of the fridge. Then, warm butter and oil in a pan, and put in the potatoes, onions, steak, and any herb combinations you like for a simple but hearty homecooked meal.
Steak Fajitas
Another quick and easy meal bursting with flavor! All you need is your leftover steak, sliced into thin strips and cut against the grain. Then, cut onions, slice some peppers, and set them aside. Warm up a tablespoon of oil in a skillet, then add garlic, cumin, and red pepper along with the onions and peppers. Cook until opaque or browned, warm up your steak in the pan, and you're done! Grab your favorite tortillas and toppings for juicy steak fajita.
Pepper Steak
Combine soy sauce, chicken broth, cooking wine and oyster sauce, and cornstarch. Take your leftover steak, and sprinkle with pepper and Chinese 5 spices. Add the steak to a skillet and add your favorite peppers until tender. Stir in some garlic and the sauce, and voila! Pepper steak with a sauce that can go over jasmine rice or udon noodles.
Steak Sandwiches
Reheat your steak and pair it with brioche buns, caramelized onions, and mushrooms topped with brie cheese for a restaurant experience at home. You can elevate the onions too by making them Dijon onions. Caramelize the onions, remove from heat, and add 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard. The best thing about leftover steak sandwiches is that they can be topped in any way you like!
Philly Cheese Steak Pizza
The iconic steak sandwich flavors but on a pizza! Combining the best of both worlds, you can use homemade pizza dough or storebought to save some time. Use a white garlic sauce with mushrooms, onions, peppers, leftover steak strips, and cheese to the top and bake until golden and crispy. The ideal meal if you love beefy, cheesy, garlicky flavors together.
Beef and Broccoli
Create an Asian-inspired dish with your leftover steak. Find a ginger-soy sauce recipe that works for you. Coat your steak strips or bite-sized pieces in three tablespoons of cornstarch and garlic powder and mix thoroughly in a bowl. Next, heat a skillet with some oil and toss the steak to warm and brown it. Toss in broccoli florets and cook for roughly five minutes. Next, pour in whatever sauce you've chosen to make and cook until thickened and serve over cooked rice.
There is almost nothing a well-cooked piece of steak can't do! Don't let your leftovers become forgotten or tossed out. With Wholey's passion for cooking, ingredients, and good food, we hope you'll never wonder what to do with leftover steak again!