Microwave
We do not really recommend microwaving as one of the best ways to cook Meat - with the exception of Leftovers - and surprisingly Bacon - if you are in a hurry!
Great for other food stuffs - just not Premium Quality Meats and Poultry
However, in the interests of exploring all methods of cooking here are some pointers:
What are the benefits of using a microwave?
Microwaves can speed up cooking time significantly over most other methods.
They are less energy intensive than ovens and hobs, so save on fuel costs.
They also allow you to defrost food quickly and safely.
If you have a digital microwave then this allows for precise cooking programme and time settings as well as variable heat settings on some machines.
Finally, cooking in a microwave avoids burning or charring food which can often occur with oven cooking and frying.
Food tends to retain more nutrients when cooked in the microwave because they are not destroyed by prolonged cooking
What can I use a microwave for?
As well as cooking whole meals and reheating Leftovers, microwaves have a multitude of handy uses which could save you time and effort in the kitchen:
Top tips for cooking in a microwave:
Separate foods by cooking time
Larger, more dense foods like starchy Vegetables and thicker Meat Cuts will need a longer cooking time than smaller foodstuffs.
To avoid overcooking some foods and undercooking others, it makes sense to separate these out and starting with the larger items and adding in the smaller foods as you go so that everything is warmed up sufficiently for when you need it.
Cut up larger foods to speed up cooking time
Larger chunks of Meat, or chunky Veg such a Potatoes will cook much faster if you chop them into smaller portions and strips before microwaving.
Arrange food properly on a microwave-safe surface
Find a microwave-safe dish or plate for cooking and spread the food out as evenly as possible in a single layer.
As food around the outer edges of the dish will cook faster than the centre, try to arrange the thickest part of the food facing away from the centre of the dish if possible.
Microwave-safe dishes should be labelled with an appropriate icon - however, glass and ceramic dishes are normally safe to microwave even if not labelled.
Cover with cling film
When cooking dishes with a high liquid content, such as Pasta, Rice or Soups, cover with cling film and pierce to contain the liquid and allow the heat to escape - this prevents messy explosions. Stand anything like this in a bowl to catch any escaping liquid and keep the bottom of my microwave clean.
Dont overfill your container
Liquid in the food can bubble up or splatter in the microwave, so either loosely cover what youre heating with a microwave-safe plate or make sure it's in a bowl big enough to allow for this.
Some cooks also suggest putting the bowl or mug you're cooking in on a second plate to catch anything that overflows.
Clean up
In case of spills or dried-on food, simply place a slice of lemon in a bowl of water, and ping in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Remove the lemon and rub it over any stains or baked-on residue to loosen it.
Stir food regularly for even heat distribution
Microwave cooking isn't even, because it works by agitating the water molecules.
These might not be evenly distributed within the food, so you need to cook food in shorter intervals and stir at least halfway through to make sure the heat can be spread around.
Don't tuck in straight away
Microwaved food will continue to cook for a minute or so after the machine is turned off. So try to resist the temptation to eat straight away and let the food stand for a minute for the molecules to finish bouncing round.
Microwave cooking, a moist cooking method, works better for these Cuts than for tender Cuts, which stew in their own juices and become tough and lose flavour.
As we said at the beginning - best left to heat Leftovers and suitable other foods - rather than compromise on your Godfreys Premium Quality Meats