MICROWAVE COOKING TECHNIQUES
Arrange food carefully Place thickest areas toward outside of dish. Cook for the shortest amount of time indicated and add more time as needed. Food severely over-cooked can smoke or ignite. Check recipe for suggestions: paper towels, microwave plastic wrap or a lid. See Table on page E-10. Covers prevent spattering and help foods to cook evenly. (Helps keep oven clean) Use small pieces of aluminum foil to cover thin areas of meats or poultry in order to avoid overcooking. Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or twice during cooking, if possible. Foods such as chicken, hamburgers or steaks should be turned over once during cooking. Rearrange foods like meatballs halfway through cooking both from top to bottom and from the center of the dish to the outside. After cooking ensure adequate standing time. Remove food from oven and stir if possible. Cover for standing time which allows the food to finish cooking without overcooking. Look for signs indicating that cooking temperatures have been reached. Doneness signs include � Food steams throughout, not just at edge. � Poultry thigh joints move easily. � Pork and poultry show no pinkness. � Fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Condensation is a normal part of microwave cooking. The humidity and moisture in food will influence the amount of moisture in the oven. Generally, covered foods will not cause as much condensation as uncovered foods. Ensure that the ventilation openings are not blocked. For cooking food with high fat content, do not bring the wrap in contact with the food as it may melt. Some microwave safe plastic cookware are not suitable for cooking foods with high fat and sugar content.
