The Worst Mistake You Can Make With Leftover Prime Rib

Prime rib or standing rib roast is a rare treat. Luxurious and expensive, this cut of meat is often purchased for the most special of occasions. With steak prices also at an all-time high, this isn't the type of steak you want to ruin, and that philosophy also applies to leftovers.

Cooks should always take great care when cooking a prime rib so that the center is perfectly rosy and not overcooked. When it comes to reheating the leftovers, it would be a shame to lose that tender pink interior, and it's alarming easy for your prime rib to turn out dry and grey. The worst mistake you can make is using any of the conventional methods for heating up cuts of meat. Tossing the meat in a pan, oven, or microwave without any care is a sure way to overcook it, resulting in beef that has lost all its tenderness and juiciness. 

To reheat prime rib properly and not waste money and all the effort you spend to cook it, steaming is actually the way to go. Using steam will slowly and gently warm the meat so you can enjoy every last perfectly-cooked morsel as it was meant to be.

A tough slice of prime rib is sad, indeed, considering how wonderful it tastes when it's tender. If you want your leftover meat warmed up, cut the remaining roast in slices and place them in a baking dish with a little liquid (beef broth works especially well, but water will do). Cover the pan with foil and bake at 250 degrees for about ten minutes. The liquid will evaporate and turn into steam, gently reheating the meat. When it's done, the center of each slice of meat should be about the color and texture it was when the roast was first cooked.

You can also reheat the meat on the stove. Wrap up a slice of prime rib tightly in foil and place it in a steamer basket over a covered pot of simmering water for about five minutes. Steam it until you're satisfied with the meat's temperature. 

While you can reheat prime rib in the microwave, remember that this little appliance is mighty powerful, and can suck the moisture out of your beautiful piece of beef very quickly. Use caution if you absolutely must go this route. Fill a microwave-safe dish with liquid, like with the oven method, but ditch the foil, which isn't safe to put in the microwave. If all of these methods sound risky to you, consider enjoying your leftovers without heating them at all.

Like fried chicken, meatloaf, and pizza, prime rib straight from the refrigerator is surprisingly delicious. You still get the flavor of the tender, pink meat, and although the marbling and fat is solidified, it makes for a wonderful rich texture. You can cut cold prime rib into thin slices and enjoy them in a number of ways, such as in a classic steak sandwich. Toast a chunk of a French baguette and slice it in half. Add homemade garlic aioli, some Dijon mustard, the prime rib slices, peppery arugula, smoked provolone cheese, and some pickled onions for a truly exceptional sandwich that's perfect with a glass of bold red wine or a dark porter-style beer.

For a more novel way to enjoy the cold beef, use flaky puff pastry as a base. Cut a sheet of puff pastry into bite-sized squares (about an inch and a half by an inch and a half), brush them with egg wash, and bake until they are puffed and golden. Place small slices of prime rib on top and press down on the pastry a bit so it becomes flatter, and top each square with some caramelized onions and a spoonful of creamed wild mushrooms, or even some crumbled blue cheese.