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Why does reheata cooked meat (can it be chicken, cow or pig) results in a realy bad taste and smell?

Is there tips to reheat it?

Tiago B
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  • Do you mean thawing, from a frozen state? Otherwise, what is warming? What do you mean, bad taste or smell--I think most people would not agree that using the microwave necessarily results in a bad smell. – SAJ14SAJ Oct 18 '13 at 18:06
  • Are you trying to ask about *cooking* meat all of the way to its final done state in a microwave? – SAJ14SAJ Oct 18 '13 at 18:09
  • I dont throw on the trash what left on lunch, I store it on refrigerator. And I heat it on microwave on dinner for example. But when I do it with meats, its taste changes completly and gets really bad. – Tiago B Oct 18 '13 at 18:12
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    So you are asking why meat doesn't *reheat* well in the microwave? Is this meat in a sauce or dish, or just like a cutlet or steak? – SAJ14SAJ Oct 18 '13 at 18:18
  • Changed the title. But about the meat type, its almost steaks or dish – Tiago B Oct 18 '13 at 18:21
  • I don't think this is universally true. Please describe what *specifically* is reheating poorly, then maybe we can help. – Aaronut Nov 01 '13 at 13:44

1 Answers1

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You are going to find a considerable variation of quality when re-heating meats or meat dishes, by any method, including the microwave.

Much of this depends on what the particular cut of meat involved was, and how it was prepared or what part of the dish it is in.

Some meats simply reheat better than others, and some cooking methods promote a more reheatable dish.

Reheat Well

Slow cooked cuts, like shoulder or chuck, that are traditionally cooked for several hours or more in a number of methods such as a braise, a barbecue or a tagine tend to reheat very well by any number of methods, including the microwave.

There should neither be an off texture nor an off smell.

For poultry, the dark meat tends to reheat better in these types of meat.

Reheat Poorly

Simple, fast cooking methods like steaks or chicken cutlets tend to reheat poorly, by any method, including the microwave.

This is because it is difficult to rewarm them evenly without actually overcooking them the second time. Once they become well done, even if during the reheating, they will be tough and rubbery and unpalatable.

The microwave is especially difficult, because it may not heat the piece evenly, and so it might overcook and turn rubbery at the tips, while it is still cold in the center.

Your best bet is to lower the power setting at the cost of taking considerably longer to reheat. Make sure to turn the food over several times, during its reheating period, and if your microwave does not have an automatically rotating carousel, rotate the food as well to promote even reheating.

Even so, you will never get it hot without significant risk of overcooking. Aim for just getting the chill off, or moderately warm at the top end.

Beef steaks are especially challenging as they are lean, and people are so sensitive to how much they have been cooked. You might be better off slicing them thinly, and eating them colder.

Aroma

The main challenge in reheating meats is maintaining the texture.

There is nothing that happens in a microwave that should lead to a bad smell. Sometimes the microwave itself may need a little bit of cleaning.

SAJ14SAJ
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  • The aroma is not caused by dirt microwave, because I clean it every use. I may have a sensitive nose to feel the difference (this happens specially on pork meat). I will lower the microwave power and try it. Thanks – Tiago B Oct 18 '13 at 18:48
  • Even if that were true, if the answer is a good one, you still got an answer. Downvotes are anonymous, and you are making a lot of assumptions. I realize you are not a native speaker of English, and I tried to help you make your questions understandable. I am sorry you didn't like that. – SAJ14SAJ Oct 21 '13 at 11:17
  • Yes you are right. English is not my mother language and sometimes the word we use here in my country is not translated well in the context in english – Tiago B Oct 21 '13 at 13:06
  • @TiagoBrenck I had to remove a comment of you which was flagged as offensive. Please do not use personal attacks in your comments. By the way, downvotes and upvotes on our site are not meant personally, they are only a statement about the usefulness of the post for other people. – rumtscho Oct 22 '13 at 11:16