Is it possible to bake or heat meat products in a microwave oven?

Many housewives are used to heating meat in the microwave in order to save time and not stain the pan in vain. But are such actions justified? Are beneficial substances destroyed in the product, does the taste remain the same? And is it possible, in principle, to cook meat in a microwave oven? We suggest finding out whether it is worth using a microwave for baking and heating meat dishes.

The principle of operation of the microwave oven in simple words

People are repelled by the unknown. Someone basically does not cook meat in the microwave, because he considers this device a harmful invention. Like, food is irradiated, vitamins and trace elements are destroyed, and carcinogens form inside. Sometimes housewives refuse to heat the meat in the microwave for another reason: the product is dry and fresh.

Let's see how the microwave oven works. We will find out whether it is worth giving up if you are going to cook juicy meat.

1. When you turn on the device, short electromagnetic waves appear inside. They move at the speed of light - almost 300 km / s.
2. Microwaves are capable of driving dipole molecules. The latter are present in water, fat, sugar, minerals. That is, in most foods.
3. Initially, molecules are randomly located in food. But under the influence of microwaves line up in the direction of the electric field. Due to the vibrations of molecules with high speed, a friction force arises, which heats the product.

As soon as you turn off the appliance, the microwaves disappear. They cannot be retained in food, as they are immediately converted into heat energy. It's like you turned off the light - and the light in the room went out.

In the microwave, vitamins and minerals do not flow from foods, as during cooking. For cooking, food does not need a large amount of vegetable oil - the main culprit in the formation of carcinogens.

Is it possible to cook and heat meat in the microwave?

So, a microwave is a safe electrical appliance. Cooking meat in it is not only possible, but also necessary. The product contains a lot of moisture and fat, and hence dipole molecules. It is not in vain that there are cookbooks with recipes for meat dishes for the microwave oven on sale.

Warming meat is also not prohibited. It is better to use a microwave than to repeatedly “bathe” a dish in fat in a pan.

But there is another problem: sometimes a product baked or heated in a microwave oven turns out to be dry. The reason is that due to the rapid heat treatment, meat juices evaporate, and this leads to a deterioration in taste. What to do?

Bake meat properly

A microwave can have three modes:

• ordinary (microwaves);
• grill;
• convection.

Cooking large pieces in microwave mode is not recommended. Depending on the set amount of time, they will either cook unevenly or dry out.

If your microwave oven does not have a grill or convection, then pickle the product in advance for 1-2 hours or at least lubricate the surface with mayonnaise, olive oil, liquid smoke.

In grill mode, small pieces of chicken with skin are excellent. For example, 700 grams of wings should be baked for about 15-20 minutes on each side. If you pickle them in advance in soy sauce or mayonnaise with Curry seasoning, the crust will turn out golden and crispy, as in a restaurant advertisement.

Convection is an analogue of cooking in an oven. For meat, it is better to use this particular mode. Only cooking time will increase 1.5-2 times.So, it is recommended to bake 0.5 kg of pork medallions in a microwave oven at a temperature of 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

For cooking meat in the microwave, glass or plastic refractory dishes, a grill grill are suitable. It is strictly forbidden to use ordinary foil, since the metal reflects microwaves and can damage the appliance.

To prevent the dish from getting dry

If you are going to warm the meat in a microwave oven, do not cover it with a lid. Put large pieces closer to the center: there the influence of microwaves is stronger. Do not heat meat with other products, such as mashed potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, canned goods. Use special glassware for the microwave.

To avoid dryness, do not set too long a period of time. For 150 grams of prepared meat pieces that have just been taken out of the refrigerator, 40-60 seconds of heating will be enough. You can sprinkle the product with water or drip a little vegetable oil on top.

Is it possible to defrost meat in a microwave oven?

Not recommended. Inside, frozen meat is too dense, outside is wet. As a result, the upper layers have time to weld, and the middle remains untouched by microwaves.

Such a product will not undergo complete heat treatment. This means that bacteria will remain in it that can provoke food poisoning or serious diseases (for example, salmonellosis).

conclusions

Thus, it is possible to cook and heat meat in the microwave, but not to defrost it. Microwaves do not linger in the product; heat treatment occurs due to the friction of molecules. The microwave oven allows you to save a maximum of vitamins and minerals in food. To improve the taste of meat dishes, use wet marinades and sauces in the cooking process.