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Cooking Techniques
Piercing
Foods with skins or membranes must be pierced, scored or have a strip of
skin peeled before cooking to allow steam to escape. Pierce clams, oysters,
chicken livers, whole potatoes and whole vegetables. Whole apples or new
potatoes should have a 1-inch (2.5 cm) strip of skin peeled before cooking.
Score sausages and frankfurters. Do not Cook/Reheat whole eggs, with or
without the shell. Steam buildup in whole eggs may cause them to explode,
and possibly damage the oven or cause injury. Reheating SLICED hard-boiled
eggs and cooking SCRAMBLED eggs is safe.
Browning
Foods will not have the same brown appearance as conventionally cooked foods
or those foods which are cooked utilizing a browning feature. Meats and poultry
may be coated with browning sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or
shake-on browning sauce. To use, combine browning sauce with melted butter
or margarine and brush on before cooking. For quick breads or muffins, brown
sugar can be used in the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or the surface can be
sprinkled with dark spices before baking.
Spacing
Individual foods, such as baked potatoes, cupcakes and appetizers, will cook
more evenly if placed in the oven equal distances apart. When possible,
arrange foods in a circular pattern.
Covering
As with conventional cooking, moisture evaporates during microwave
cooking. Casserole lids or plastic wrap are used for a tighter seal. When using
plastic wrap, vent the plastic wrap by folding back part of the plastic wrap
from the edge of the dish to allow steam to escape. Loosen or remove plastic
wrap as recipe directs for standing time. When removing plastic wrap covers,
as well as any glass lids, be careful to remove them away from you to avoid
steam burns. Various degrees of moisture retention are also obtained by
using wax paper or paper towels.
Shielding
Thin areas of meat and poultry cook more quickly than meaty portions.
To prevent overcooking, these thin areas can be shielded with strips of
aluminum foil. Wooden toothpicks may be used to hold the foil in place.
CAUTION
is to be exercised when using foil. Arcing can occur if foil is too
close to oven wall or door and damage to your oven will result.
Cooking Time
Cooking times will vary because of food shape variations, starting
temperature, and regional preferences. Always cook food for the minimum
cooking time given in a recipe and check for doneness. If the food is
undercooked, continue cooking. It is easier to add time to an undercooked
product. Once the food is overcooked, nothing can be done.
Stirring
Stirring is usually necessary during microwave cooking. Always bring the
cooked outside edges toward the center and the less cooked center portions
toward the outside of the dish.
Rearranging
Rearrange small items such as chicken pieces, shrimp, hamburger patties or
pork chops. Rearrange pieces from the edge to the center and pieces from
the center to the edge of the dish.
Turning
It is not possible to stir some foods to distribute the heat evenly. At times,
microwave energy will concentrate in one area of the food. To help ensure
even cooking, these foods need to be turned. Turn over large foods, such as
roasts or turkeys, halfway through cooking.
Standing Time
Most foods will continue to cook by conduction after the microwave oven
is turned off. After cooking meat, the internal temperature will rise 5 °F to
15 °F (3 °C to 8 °C), if allowed to stand, tented with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Casseroles and vegetables need a shorter amount of standing time, but this
standing time is necessary to allow foods to complete cooking to the center
without overcooking on the edges.
Test for Doneness
The same tests for doneness used in conventional cooking may be used for
microwave cooking. Meat is done when fork-tender or splits at fibers. Chicken
is done when juices are clear yellow and drumstick moves freely. Fish is done
when it flakes and is opaque. Cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester is
inserted and comes out clean.
Check foods to see that they are cooked to the United States Department
of Agriculture’s recommended temperatures.
To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in a thick or dense area
away from fat or bone. NEVER leave the thermometer in the food during
cooking, unless it is approved for microwave oven use.
Cook all food to these minimum internal temperatures as measured
with a food thermometer before removing food from oven. For
reasons of personal preference, you may choose to cook food at
higher temperatures.
Product
Minimum Internal
Temperature & Rest Time
Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb
Steaks, chops, roasts
145 °F (63 °C) and allow to rest
for at least 3 minutes
Ground meats
160 °F (71 °C)
Ham
, fresh or smoked
(uncooked)
145 °F (63 °C) and allow to rest
for at least 3 min.
Fully Cooked Ham
(to reheat)
Reheat cooked hams
packaged in USDA-inspected
plants to 140 °F (60 °C); all
others to 165 °F (74 °C).
All Poultry
(breasts, whole
bird, legs, thighs, and wings,
ground poultry, and stuffing)
165 °F (74 °C)
Eggs
160 °F (71 °C)
Fish & Shellfish
145 °F (63 °C)
Leftovers
165 °F (74 °C)
Casseroles
165 °F (74 °C)
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