How to reheat smoked meat without drying it out

Smoked meat is already cooked. You’re not cooking it again, you’re waking it up. The thing to avoid is dry heat: it pulls out the moisture and turns good bark into leather. So go low, add a little liquid and cover it.

The one number to know: Health Canada says to reheat leftovers to 74°C (165°F). A digital thermometer takes the guessing out of it.

The oven: works for everything

1. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
2. Lay the meat in a single layer on a big sheet of foil or in a baking dish.
3. Add a splash of liquid: beef broth for brisket, apple juice or water for ribs and pork.
4. Wrap or cover it tightly.
5. Heat until the thickest piece reads 74°C (165°F). Figure 20 to 30 minutes for a rack of ribs or a few slices of brisket, and up to an hour for a big chunk.

For ribs, unwrap them at the end, brush on some sauce and slide them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Stay close. Sauce goes from sticky to burnt fast.

Hot water: best for brisket and sausage

This is the sous-vide trick without the gadget. Put slices or links in a heavy-duty freezer bag or a vacuum-sealer bag with a spoonful of the juices or some broth. Press out the air, seal it and keep it flat, about an inch (2.5 cm) thick. Lower it into a pot of water that’s steaming but not bubbling, around 80°C (175°F), and clip the bag to the side so it isn’t sitting on the hot bottom. Slices from the fridge take about 20 to 30 minutes to reach 74°C (165°F). Nothing dries out, because nothing can escape. It works from frozen too, it just takes longer.

Steam: quick for small portions

A steamer basket over simmering water, lid on, warms sliced brisket or sausage in 5 to 10 minutes and keeps it moist. No steamer? Use a frying pan with a few tablespoons of water and a lid, over low heat. For sausage, take the lid off at the end and let the water cook off so the casing browns.

Pork belly bites: finish them crisp

Belly bites are the exception, because they want dry heat at the end. Warm them covered in the oven as above, then uncover, turn it up to 400°F (200°C) and give them 5 to 8 minutes until the edges crackle. An air fryer at 350°F (175°C) does it in one step: 5 to 8 minutes, shaken halfway. If they’re sauced, keep an eye on them. Either way, check for 74°C (165°F).

What not to do

• Microwave on high. It heats unevenly, squeezes out the juices and turns brisket rubbery. If it’s the microwave or nothing, use half power, add a splash of liquid, cover it with a microwave-safe lid and stop to stir or flip every minute or so. Let it stand a minute, then check the temperature.
• High heat, uncovered. A hot oven with no cover is how brisket becomes jerky.
• Slicing first. If you have a chunk of brisket, reheat it whole and slice it after.
• Reheating the whole batch for one plate. Warm what you’ll eat and leave the rest in the fridge.

Storing leftovers

Get smoked meat into the fridge within two hours of pickup or serving. Health Canada says to throw out cooked food left out longer than that, and on a hot day the limit drops to one hour. Driving it home to Guelph or the GTA in July? Bring a cooler. Once it’s in the fridge, eat it within 2 to 3 days.

Freezing

Smoked meat freezes well. Wrap portions tightly in plastic wrap or foil, put them in a freezer bag with the air pressed out and write the date on it. Health Canada’s storage chart gives cooked meat 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw it in the fridge, or reheat it straight from frozen in hot water. Once it’s thawed, don’t refreeze it.

We smoke in limited quantities, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. So when you pre-order for Smokehouse Saturday, get a little extra. Future you will be glad.