How You Can Safely Preserve Cooked Meat at a Restaurant

khalid ahmad
3 min readDec 8, 2020

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Have you ever wondered what happens to leftover meat at a restaurant? Or are you a restaurant owner trying to know how to store leftover cooked meat? We all know that perfect storage is not child’s play. A single food storage mistake can ruin everything. Hygiene of the food also matters, along with storage. Remember that hygiene is a legal responsibility of cooks and carters. Know that storing the food in good shape is not always about preventing an upset stomach. It also reduces costs, saves time, enhances taste, and reduces food waste. Make sure you are buying fresh as well as good-quality meat from meat serve over counter and then cooking it according to the instructions. You must be wondering how a restaurant can make any dish in twenty minutes maximum. The answer to this question is that they preserve the cooked meat and only invest time in making the gravy. By following some tips and tricks, you can store the cooked meat beforehand or even keep the leftover cooked meat so that it does not get wasted. Below we have mentioned a detailed guide on how to store cooked meat at a restaurant.

1. Equipment:

When it comes to cooked meat, either red or white meat, the best equipment that you can use is none other than your refrigerator. You can preserve meat in the fridge but make sure it does not exceed the given date. If you are only storing the meat for one or two days, then refrigeration is best. But if you are planning on keeping the cooked meat for more than two days, then you should freeze it. But do not store the cooked meat in the freezer for more than a month as it can cause freezer burn, and the cooked meat will not look appealing and do not taste good. Remember that if you thaw the meat after freezing it, then you cannot refreeze it. You can only thaw the meat once after freezing it.

2. Container:

The container in which you are storing the meat also matters in its preservation. Most people use plastic bags for storing meat. If you are planning on using the cooked meat within a week them opt for air-tight containers. Try to make sure the air cannot touch the cooked meat, as it is the only way to store the cooked meat. If you are planning on using the cooked meat for longer than one week them wrap each piece of meat in a plastic bag and then store it in a sealed bag. By doing this, will allow you to thaw only the portion of meat that you want to use. When you are packing the meat in a plastic bag, make sure to release the air out of the container before sealing it.

3. Expiry date:

It is a smart idea to write the expiry date on the case, so that you know if you can use the meat or not. Make sure you are not keeping the meat packet with other items that can spoil the cooked meat by its odor.

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