Slop, and other uses for leftover food

[Sueven]

Let's get this forum back to life!

Slop is my generic name for a stir-fry that I make with finely chopped vegetables and meats, and I generally use it to stuff hoagie rolls or make sloppy-joe style sandwiches. It's really more of a technique than a dish, it's the method I use to clean out my fridge.

Example:

One small onion
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
Corn (canned or fresh... or frozen, i guess, although i never use frozen... and please, if you use canned, just plain sweet corn in water)
Beans (also canned or fresh... if canned, rinse the beans prior to use)
1 lb ground beef
Nutmeg
Cracked Pepper
Cayenne Powder
Salt

Mince the onions and garlic. Heat up a little oil in a skillet and stir-fry the onions and garlic until the onions juuust start to turn translucent. Throw in the beef, corn, and beans (don't overdo it on the beans and corn, as this should be mostly beef. I typically drain and rinse 1 can corn and 1 can beans, mix them together in a container, throw a bit in the skillet, and refrigerate the rest for later re-use). Stir-fry until cooked, throwing in seasonings along the way. Drain off excess fat, if necessary (depends on how lean your beef is). This is your slop. This particular recipe is vaguely southwestern in tone, but you can make it with really any vegetables and any spicing you like, which is why I use it to clean out my fridge (this is where my softening, leftover vegetables go). You can also sub in any other ground meat you like, or even cut up chicken and do it with small chicken chunks (thin strips of about an inch apiece). It works very well with chicken and cajun spices.

To serve, get some crusty rolls (or whatever bread you have around), throw slop into the rolls, top with a little cheese, and broil/toast until the cheese is melted.

Other uses for leftover food: make stock!

If you have leftover meat, especially leftover bones, you're in business for stock-making. Boil a big pot of water. Take your bones/scraps and toss them into the pot (a whole roast chicken, picked of the cooked meat, is perfect). Look in your fridge for softening vegetables that are right on the border of going bad. Cut them into chunks and throw them in, too. Carrots, celery, and onions are ideal. Garlic. Avoid cabbages-- they are too strong for stockmaking. Let it all boil for a couple hours, then pull out the bones and strain the broth to remove chunks. Put it in the fridge for several hours. The fat will float to the top and congeal. Remove it. Now you have homemmade stock.

Note that you can make vegetable stock without meat, too.

How do YOU use purposeless leftover food which is going bad in your fridge?

[Xatrei]

I tend to shop daily for what I need, so I typically don't have a lot in the 'fridge to go bad. When I do have leftovers from a particular meal, they usually just get heated up and eaten as is the next day for lunch. However, I make stock a lot.

You're waaaay better off putting your rinsed bones, bird carcasses or whatever into the pot and adding enough cool water to cover the bones by 2 or 3 inches. Then heat it to a simmer, but never let it get to a rolling boil or you'll get a cloudy result. Starting cold lets the impurities separate and rise to the top as the water heats. Skim this stuff several times while the stock cooks to get a clearer end result. For meat stocks, simmer for 2-6 hours, depending on what kind of stock you're going preparing and what kind of body you're shooting for. When you've got about an hour left, add your aromatic vegetables and herbs. I don't bother with a bouquet or sachet like some prefer since I'll strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve or, rarely, cheesecloth anyway. For beef or veal, roast your bones before making stock. For fish or shellfish stocks, add the veg & herbs at the beginning and sweat the bones / shells with the veg for a few minutes before adding the liquid, and then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. For vegetable stocks, just sweat the vegetables and herbs at the beginning before adding water and simmering for an hour. When the stock is finished, run it through a fine mesh sieve before using or storing. If I'm going to refrigerate or freeze it, I place a couple gallon-sized ziplock bags full of ice into the stock to bring its temperature down as quickly as possible.