# Any way to redeem dry meat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151 "2017-06-29T18:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/1 "2017-06-29T18:44:57Z")
I overcooked my ham and now it’s too dry. It doesn’t taste bad, but is there any way to help it out? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/2 "2017-06-29T19:06:00Z")
Perhaps making some red eye gravy. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/3 "2017-06-29T19:44:06Z")
Meat makes a good seasoning. You could cook up some rice and veggies and chop the ham really fine and mix it in there. Ditto for pasta, or salad (or even pasta salad). Casseroles, etc. Or make a soup with the ham. Or ham and beans, or a stew, or some other slow, wet dish. Only add the ham in towards the end, instead of at the beginning like normal, so that it doesn’t cook very much more. And chop it small so each bite is juicy, and you don’t have big dry chunks. If you’re going to just eat ham steak and suffer through the dryness, I agree with making gravy, red eye or otherwise. It will help a lot. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/4 "2017-06-29T19:51:17Z")
Try braising it. Believe it or not, Coca-Cola makes a good braising liquid for ham. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/5 "2017-06-29T20:07:47Z")
If it’s already overcooked, braising is not going to save it. You’ll just get dry ham in gravy. I would probably use the suggestion of using it as a flavoring agent, where you can either chop up the ham finely or something and are using it more as a support to the dish rather than as a main dish. Red eye gravy, beans and rice, bean soup, that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/6 "2017-06-29T21:31:30Z")
Chop it up and throw it in a can of chili. A solid lunch, right there. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/7 "2017-06-29T22:12:47Z")
Use it to flavor. Add to chili, make creamed chipped ham (ugh). Or season it and dry it further and call it ham jerky. It’s pretty much lost though. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/8 "2017-06-29T23:40:58Z")
I like fruit sauce with ham. If you have a can of pineapple, cherries or peaches, plus vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and some spices, you could make a quick fruit sauce to serve with it. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-redeem-dry-meat/790151/9 "2017-06-30T00:01:04Z")
I always think dry ham is best on sandwiches because a condiment (like mustard or mayo) is going to add moisture