Ask the Rabbi...
What foods can and can't I reheat on Shabbos?

Can you cite the rule and its practical application concerning re-heating foods (specifically meats with gravy, sauce) on Shabbat? I've eaten at the homes of observant people who certainly did not serve dry meat. What types of gravy/juices, sauce, if any, is permissible, and what is/are proper methods of reheating? I am having people over this Shabbat and I want to make sure I won't offend anyone with my turkey breast and brisket. Frankly, I never really thought about this issue if I even knew about it, until a friend mentioned that she wouldn't serve meatballs on Shabbat because some of her guests would have an issue. She explained that its only OK to serve meat in its own juice. But that would mean that if you sauté onions and make gravy for a roast, that you can't re-heat it, of if you cook a tangy sauce for a turkey, you can't re-heat it in the sauce... I at least want to be aware of the rule.

The truth is that the intricacies of warming food comprise one of the most difficult and complex aspects of Shabbos observance, so it is no surprise that more than a few people are confused. Below is a brief and hopefully simple outline of the rules and their applications. Sources are not cited here; for a full discusion of all the issues, please see the Shabbos Kitchen class.

Here are the basic rules:

• It is generally forbidden to reheat any liquid on shabbos.
• "Reheat" is defined as raising the temperature of a liquid above 110 degrees (F) or 43 degrees (C), as this is considered to be cooking the liquid.
• One cannot warm a liquid to a temperature below this temperature lest one come to warm above this temperature.
• On top of a pot of food (or water) that is on top of a blech, if in this location where it is impossible for the liquid to reach the above temperature, it is permissible to reheat a liquid. In other words, you can place a pot of liquid on top of a pot of food on the blech provided that the liquid cannot possibly reach 110 degrees in this location.
• Liquids can be returned to a blech provided that one follows all the rules of chazara (which perhaps I'll write up at a later time).
• Solids can be reheated on top of another food that is on the flame. For example, you can warm your challah on top of your cholent pot. However, you cannot completely enclose the solid in an insulating covering while doing so. So you can wrap your challah in foil, but leave the end out. (This is sufficient for Ashkenazic Jews; Sephardim are stricter about not covering the challah.)
• Whether or not you can reheat solids on a hotplate is the subject of much debate. Consult with your rabbi.
• It is permissible to reheat a solid in spite of the fact that it contains some liquid which will come out when heated. For instance, meat that has absorbed some gravy and has some congealed gravy and fat on it is considered a "solid" for reheating purposes, provided that it is very much meat with just a little congealed gravy clinging to it. Similarly, an apple pie could be warmed although some of the filling will ooze a bit. This is the basic rule for most Ashkenazim; however, some Ashkenazim are strict and require the food to be completely dry, so check with your rabbi to be sure. Sephardim have some additional leniencies that may allow the food to merely be mostly solid; Sephardim should consult with a rabbi to determine the appropriate halacha.

So how can you serve meat with warm gravy for Shabbos lunch? You've got a few options:

• Make lots of gravy and just leave it on a blech with a very low heat from Friday night until Shabbos lunch. I suggest adding extra water before Shabbos so that it doesn't dry out. You cannot add water on Shabbos, even if the water you are adding is hot. (Note that there are some potential leniencies in this regard; consult with your rabbi.)
• Do the same thing, but put the meat in there too. This is like a cholent. Like a cholent, you can't mix it, take the lid on and off, add water, etc. on Shabbos, so make sure that it has enough water before Shabbos that it won't dry out.
• Note that you can reheat the meat separately on Shabbos. If you kept the gravy warm from before Shabbos then take the gravy off the flame and transfer it to another pot or serving tray. Add in the separately heated meat and serve it just like you normally would. You cannot return the uneaten meat and gravy to the blech.

My wife and I have served delicious turkey like this. Before Shabbos, I cut up the turkey into eighths or so, debone the pieces, and put them all into a large pot. Then I pour all the gravy and drippings from the roasting pan on top. We leave that in the oven on a low temperature. For Shabbos lunch, we take it out, carve it up, and serve turkey with hot gravy. Delicious!

Please take heed... the rules of cooking and warming are among the most complicated laws of Shabbos, and this brief summary is much more like an introduction to the preface than an overview. (To give an idea of the complexity, my rabbinical studies included the equivalent of an entire semester dedicated just to these rules.) So ask your rabbi to clarify for you!

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