Pepper Stout Beef


 
Tim L.

Tim L.

TVWBB Pro
Sirs-

I'm making the pepper stout beef (modified) for my daughter's 1st birthday party tomorrow. The party is at my mother's house, about 30 minutes of a drive from mine. We want to eat between 12 and 1.

Considering that it's a total 6 hour cook time, and that I'd rather not wake up at 5 and drive to my mom's...should I:

A-cook and pull it tonight, store in aluminum pan, reheat tomorrow in the oven

B-start the cook at 6 tomorrow, and when it gets to the middle point, where most people put it in the oven, drive to mom's house and put it in the oven there for the remainder?

I guess it's a matter of preference, and my preference is to not ever wake up early if I don't have to, so I guess my real question is:

is there an issue with cooking tonight and reheating tomorrow? Will it drastically affect quality?

I guess I'll also throw C out there:

C-consider that it might be a hectic day getting everything together, plus the drive/change of locations, so make some tasty burgers instead.

Thanks!

Ps-I promise to take and post pics in return for your suggestions!
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Reheating should not be a problem.

Make sure you cool well and relatively quickly when it's done. When you reheat, just reheat to serving temp, no hotter than that lest the meat overcook.
 
I've heard that several times now-the guidance to "cool well and relatively quickly". What is the reasoning, and what is your method for doing so? Quick entry into the fridge?

Would you suggest reheating in a large pan on the stove, or the oven in the foil pan?

Thanks Kevin! You're saving the day, again.

Cheers
 
You can reheat either way. Stir periodically so that heating is even. Then take it just till serving temp.

The reason for cooling hot cooked foods relatively quickly is for safety. Though properly cooked foods are pasteurized and thus safe, foods can become contaminated after cooking, especially if handled. One type of pathogen in particular (Staphylococcus aureus), which is environmentally ubiquitous, can contaminate foods after cooking and, if the cooling period is lengthy, grow enough to produce a toxin. This toxin is unaffected by reheating and can cause illness.

Food should be cooled before fridging. If cooked in a pan as is the case with the beef you're doing, transfer the mixture to a different pan after cooking (if you chill the pan first, so much the better) and keep the pan contents shallow. Allow for some air circulation under the pan and stir often to release heat. When no longer hot you can transfer the whole thing to the fridge but do not cover right away (it's important not to trap the any heat). When cool either cover that pan or transfer to a smaller pan and cover.
 
Well, it's probably too late to start PSB here, but only 6:30 on the West Coast. My vote (for what it's worth) would be prepare tonight and reheat tomorrow. Then it's easy peasy tomorrow and you can enjoy yourself.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
You can reheat either way. Stir periodically so that heating is even. Then take it just till serving temp.

The reason for cooling hot cooked foods relatively quickly is for safety. Though properly cooked foods are pasteurized and thus safe, foods can become contaminated after cooking, especially if handled. One type of pathogen in particular (Staphylococcus aureus), which is environmentally ubiquitous, can contaminate foods after cooking and, if the cooling period is lengthy, grow enough to produce a toxin. This toxin is unaffected by reheating and can cause illness.

Food should be cooled before fridging. If cooked in a pan as is the case with the beef you're doing, transfer the mixture to a different pan after cooking (if you chill the pan first, so much the better) and keep the pan contents shallow. Allow for some air circulation under the pan and stir often to release heat. When no longer hot you can transfer the whole thing to the fridge but do not cover right away (it's important not to trap the any heat). When cool either cover that pan or transfer to a smaller pan and cover. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kevin,

I am sure you know this but saw an interesting thing about this on one of the Cooks country / America's test kitchen shows a couple weeks back. They tested cooling on the counter vs. cooling in the refrigerator. The timing to get the hot food down to 85 degrees is the same either way. Of course, the benefit to doing it on the counter is not warming your refrigerator and the food that is in it.

I have always cooled on the counter so that I did not warm up the refrigerator, but it was interesting to find out there is no benefit from putting it in the frig.
 
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