Season the food with herbs and spices that
contain antioxidant compounds (chapter 8).
Use low-permeability plastic wraps to cover
the meat (saran or polyvinyl chloride;
polyethylene is surprisingly permeable to
oxygen), and eliminate air pockets in the
package. Eat the leftovers as soon as possible,
and with the minimum degree of reheating
consistent with safety. Leftover roast chicken,
for example, tastes fresher when served cold.
Maintaining Moistness If you’ve taken the
trouble to cook a meat dish gently, then apply
the same care to reheating: it only takes
moments at the boil to dry out a good stew.
Bring the liquid alone to the boil, return the
meat to it so that its surfaces are exposed to
the boil very briefly, and then reduce the heat
and stir so that the liquid quickly comes down
to 150ºF/65ºC. Then let the meat warm
through at this gentle temperature.
Safety As a general rule, leftover meats are