The Best Solution For Tough, Chewy Roasts Is A Surprisingly Easy Fix

Here's an unfortunate, but common scenario. You overcooked your favorite beef roast or pork tenderloin recipe to the point of turning the meat into shoe leather. However, this doesn't automatically mean it's a candidate for the trash compactor. You can save your overcooked meat by adding it to the food processor, pouring in a bit of olive oil, and blending the mixture into a shredded puree. 

Despite coming from a tough and chewy portion of meat, this paste actually has a number of really delicious uses. In a pinch, it becomes the stuffing for homemade ravioli, a sweet-and-savory mincemeat pie, shredded beef tacos, or even the filling for Shepherd's pie. It also makes for a pretty tasty interior for steamed Asian dumplings or potstickers.

It isn't just overcooked roasts that get new life with this trick, either. Salvaging cuts of overdone steak or roasted chicken is also possible with this cooking hack. Additionally, if you're feeling those creative culinary juices flowing, try mixing the meats you put into the food processor. For example, if you have some leftover pork and beef roasts, ground them up together to create a minced meat mix with a more nuanced flavor. It's not just the meat itself that this hack rescues from the trash. You'll be salvaging the time you spent cooking the meat plus all the seasonings that went into it, too.

To get started, remove any bones that the meat has. Those will damage the blade of your food processor quicker than a New York minute. It probably goes without saying, but you should avoid putting the whole roast or slab of steak into the food processor. The meat needs to be cut up into one- to two-inch pieces to ensure that the chunks of shredded meat won't be too big to use in recipes like dumplings or ravioli. Next, add the meat to the processor, until it fills up a quarter to a third of the appliance, and then, pour in enough olive oil to moisten the steak or pork. Pulse the meat between 10 and 15 times.

Once you've done this, spread some parchment paper onto a baking sheet and scoop the meat onto the parchment paper. Sort through the pieces to root out any big chunks. Those get tossed back into the processor for a few more pulses. Repeat the process until all the meat has been shredded into smaller chunks. This goes into a freezer bag with a zip top or a plastic container with a lid to be stashed in the freezer until you're ready to use it.

While the USDA says that frozen meats remain viable "indefinitely," they'll remain most optimal from a taste and texture perspective for only about four to six months after you stash them in the freezer. If you can't find it in you to turn your salvaged minced meat into a mean batch of your Nonna's homemade hand pies, then toss it once the six month mark rolls around.