What Is Meat and How Can I Use It?
Here's everything worth knowing about meat and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 46 recipes to cook tonight.
What is meat?
As an ingredient "meat" refers to any cooked leftover meat from a previous meal that makes sense for the dish you are making.
In most cases this is leftover chicken, pork or beef, frequently from a pot roast.
Quick facts
Where to find meat: Meat is usually found in the meats section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
- In Chinese
- 肉
- British (UK) term
- Meat
- en français
- de la viande
- en español
- la carne
Recipes using meat
There are 46 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Spaghetti Bolognese
My man can't get tired of spaghetti. I try to add new ingredients and play around with the recipe. This one is yummy and it contains some vegetables. I try to add vegtables as much as possible in our dinner. My kids love it too.
Sausage & Lentil Soup
Sausage and lentil soup that's even better the next day. Browned sausage, vegetables, and herbs simmered into a hearty broth, with lentils added near the end so they stay tender, not mushy.
Chicken Pot-pie
Easy chicken pot pie that skips the roux: cream of potato soup, mixed vegetables, and cooked chicken baked between two flaky crusts with thyme. A fast way to use up leftover meat.
Mexican Zr Frijoles
Mexican frijoles from scratch: dried pinto beans soaked, then slow-simmered with smoky salt pork or ham hock, onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin until thick and creamy. The classic pot of beans.
Deccan Meat Burtas
A traditional Deccan-style bhurta of pounded meat or fish seasoned with mace, cayenne, and lemon, cooked in butter and served on toast. Anglo-Indian comfort food.
Meat, Vegetable, & Rice Soup
A hearty beef, vegetable, and rice soup made fast in the pressure cooker, with a meaty soup bone, tomatoes, corn, okra, and a pinch of cayenne. Old-fashioned comfort in a fraction of the usual simmering time.
Double Cheese-Ham Bake
Yeasted cheese bread topped with ham strips and a triple cheese melt of cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan. A savory one-pan dinner bake with homemade dough.
Hot Red Chili
Texas-style red chili made from dried chile pods pureed into a fiery sauce with browned meat, cumin, and oregano. No beans, slow-simmered for hours.
Sooz's Not So Alarming Chili
Sooz's chili simmers ground beef with stewed tomatoes, mild green chilies, kidney beans, and chili powder for a crowd-sized, family-friendly bowl. A milder pot meant for bigger groups.
Pizzeria Recipe
Pizzeria-style deep-dish pizza: a cornmeal-crisp homemade crust pressed up the sides of a deep pan, layered Chicago-style with mozzarella under crushed plum tomatoes, herbs, sausage, and Parmesan.
Fried Rice No. 1
A simple and scrumptious fried rice made with green peas, bean sprouts and mixed herbs.
Vegetable Stew (Tangarat Khudar)
North African vegetable stew with chickpeas, fennel, zucchini, and warm spices like cinnamon and coriander. Simmered with meat and noodles, finished with fresh lemon juice.
Pickled or Corned Beef or Venison
Pickled or corned beef (or venison): a traditional barrel-cure brine for beef or wild game using salt, saltpeter, and molasses. Old-fashioned homesteader method for preserving large cuts.
Easy Par-Cooked Balti Meat
Par-cooked balti meat is a Birmingham-curry-house technique: meat simmered with masala paste then frozen for fast curry assembly. A make-ahead British-Indian meal prep base.
Wirsingroellchen (Savoy Cabbage Rolls)
Wirsingroellchen are German Savoy cabbage rolls stuffed with ground leftover meat, parsley, and breadcrumbs, baked under a basting of sour cream. A thrifty, nutmeg-warmed classic from the old country.
My Hearty Soup
My hearty soup starts with a homemade stock simmered low for hours, then strained and skimmed clean before a load of vegetables, pasta, and pulled meat go in. A from-scratch, stick-to-your-ribs bowl made the old-fashioned way.
Pressed Sandwich
Pressed sandwich: hollowed French bread stuffed with sliced meat, crisp bacon, melted brie, and caramelized onions, then pressed golden in a skillet. Panini-style meat lover's sandwich without a press.
Stew
Pressure cooker lamb stew with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Hearty chunks of meat and vegetables in a thick gravy, done in just 45 minutes.
Ring Bolonga Sandwiches
Broiled ring bologna sandwiches: ground ring bologna blended with Cheese Whiz, spread on buns, and run under the broiler until melty and golden. A retro, two-bite game-day snack.
Shabbos-Choulnt
Traditional Shabbos cholent slow-cooked overnight with meat, soup bones, potatoes, barley, beans, and onions. This classic Jewish Sabbath stew simmers 18 to 24 hours for deeply rich, tender results.
Fried Yam Puffs - Epok-Epok Keladi
Crispy fried yam puffs (epok-epok keladi) with a savory prawn and meat stuffing. A popular Malaysian snack with a mashed yam dough shell that fries up golden and light.
Okroshka
Okroshka, a chilled Russian meat and vegetable soup with diced cucumber, hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, and mustard in an apple cider base standing in for traditional kvass.
Pizza Presto
Pizza Presto on a Boboli shell loaded with pepperoni, sauteed peppers and onions, black olives, and two cheeses. A fast homemade pizza ready in 25 minutes.
Alicha
Alicha: Ethiopian mild meat stew with beef, lamb, or goat braised slow with turmeric, ginger, mustard, and caraway seeds. The yellow-gold curry that pairs with injera or rice.
Chili with Beans
Chili with beans built the old-school way: overnight soaked pintos, three kinds of meat, and a slow simmer that coaxes out real depth. Cumin, cayenne, and jalapeños do the talking.
Peanut Curried Fried Rice
An East Indian twist on Chinese fried rice, perfect for using up any leftover meat or just go with the veggies.
Meat & Rice Stuffing
All-purpose Mediterranean meat and rice stuffing with fresh mint, parsley, and dill. Fills vine leaves, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers for dolma-style dishes.
Jerky
Make and enjoy your own savory beef jerky with this simple recipe that is extremely easy to follow and understand.
Minced Meat for Pies
Fermented mincemeat made with venison or beef tongue, suet, apples, dried fruit, red wine, cider, and brandy. A six-to-eight-week crock cure transforms the ingredients into the deep, boozy filling of old hunting cabin Christmas pies.
Hawaiian Jerky
Hawaiian jerky marinated in pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar, then dehydrated low and slow. Sweet-savory tropical twist on classic homemade beef jerky.
Avocado Chef Salad
Avocado chef salad piled with red leaf lettuce, watercress, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, Swiss cheese, julienned ham or turkey, cubed avocado, and a tangy vinaigrette. A protein-packed lunch in five minutes.
Meat Casserole
For meat lovers only, this succulent and scrumptious casserole is sure to satisfy your hunger!
Montana Omelet
This is a fantastic omelet, I love it very much, every week, I cook it for at least 3 times, even more.
Riceballs
Italian arancini-style rice balls stuffed with seasoned meat, peas, and mozzarella, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. A classic Sicilian street food.
Hot Phall
Phall curry, the famously fiery British-Indian curry house dish, made with twelve fresh green chiles, garam masala, fenugreek, and your meat of choice. For serious heat seekers only.
Cabbage Soup#2
Beef and cabbage soup simmered from scratch with a homemade bone broth base, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and oregano. Hearty, warming, and full of vegetables.
Fireside Chili
Hearty Texas-style chili with beef and pork, slow-simmered with cumin, oregano and cayenne. No beans, just meat and bold spices.
Pastichio (Greek Lasagna)
Pastichio (Greek lasagna) with ziti, seasoned ground meat, crumbled feta, cream cheese, Parmesan, and eggs baked into a rich, set casserole. A simplified take on the classic Greek baked pasta.
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Stew up your summer days with this succulent dish that is best enjoyed when eaten outside!
Pancit
Filipino pancit, a stir-fried noodle dish with rice sticks, shredded cabbage, carrots, and your choice of pork, chicken, or shrimp. Bright with soy sauce and a finishing squeeze of lemon.
Easy Tijuana Pie
Easy Tijuana pie layers tortilla chips with browned ground meat, ranch beans, green chilies, cream soup, and grated cheese for a 10-minute Tex-Mex casserole. Pantry-stocked weeknight win.
Favorite Bisquick Generic Impossible Pie
A mix and match quick and easy Impossible pie. Add extras according to your own family's tastes.
