Meat which is reheated or twice cooked is less nourishing than when first prepared because no matter how careful the cooking process, a certain amount of the nutritive juices will escape in the first cooking, although usually a portion of this is retained and served as a sauce or gravy. So the wise housewife prepares various savory sauces when reheating meat or fish, to overcome this loss of flavor and add to the palatability of these warmed over dishes.

Twice cooked meat, if properly prepared, is very appetizing and not hard to digest - unless reheated in such a fashion as to render it tough and leathery. It is also necessary to bear in mind when preparing these various dishes, that the meat should never be actually twice cooked, but merely reheated.

Whenever vegetables, sauces, etc., are to be added to cooked meat or fish, they should be thoroughly cooked before being combined with the ingredients to be reheated. The cooked meat or fish, when reheating, should be protected if possible from coming in direct contact with the heat of the fire, oven or fat; which means that the reheating process should be accomplished by adding the cooked food to a hot sauce, or be combined with other materials.

The finer these cooked ingredients are the less time required for reheating, and the more quickly will they absorb the sauce which is to give flavor to the dish. However, this does not mean to mash the meat or fish, but carefully chop it; also be careful to remove all bone, gristle and undesirable portions before chopping, and if cutting in cubes or slicing, have the pieces of uniform size, which will add greatly to the appearance of the finished dish.

Any kind of cooked fish, meat and some vegetables may be used in making croquettes. Meat and fish croquettes are simply a finely chopped mixture combined with a thick sauce, then crumbed, shaped, dipped in egg, then in crumbs again and fried in deep fat. Whatever variety of meat or fish the rules for the sauce, molding and frying are the same.

Lamb Gurry

Cut cold roast lamb in thin slices. Prepare a sauce by melting 4 tablespoons of shortening, add 1/2 slice onion and fry until a golden brown; remove onion from fat and add 4 tablespoons of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Mix until smooth and add gradually 2 cups of stock or warm water. Stir constantly until thick, then pour over sliced lamb. Stock can be made by adding a bouillon cube to water or using left-over gravy and water steamed before using. Garnish platter with hot cooked rice, molded in custard cups.

Reheating Roast Beef

Slice cold roast beef very thin and arrange on a warm platter. Just before serving pour a hot meat sauce or gravy over the slices of meat. If the beef is reheated and allowed to stand over the fire in the gravy it becomes tough.

Corned Beef Hash

Chop rather fine, equal quantities of cold corned beef, free from all fat and gristle, and cold boiled potatoes; heat about 3 tablespoons of shortening in a frying pan; turn in the chopped ingredients and add one-quarter cup of stock or milk and season with paprika; mix together, cover and let allow to brown, watching very carefully and stirring occasionally. Fold over and turn on a hot platter; pour a well-seasoned tomato sauce around the hash and garnish with baked bananas.