Is Microwave Cooking Safe and Delicious for Meat Dishes?

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Discussion Overview

The thread explores various experiences and opinions regarding the use of microwaves for cooking meat dishes and other foods. Participants share their thoughts on the taste, safety, and convenience of microwave cooking, as well as personal anecdotes about their cooking experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses discomfort with the idea of cooking meat in the microwave, questioning its safety.
  • Another participant shares positive experiences cooking various dishes in the microwave, noting that the taste is comparable to oven-cooked food.
  • Several users mention that their family members have differing opinions on microwave cooking, with some enjoying the results while others remain skeptical.
  • One participant highlights a discussion from a homeschool group about the potential negative effects of microwaves on nutrients, while also sharing their reliance on microwave meals during illness.
  • Another participant notes that their husband prefers cakes made in the microwave.
  • One user mentions the need for a larger microwave to accommodate specific cookware, expressing a desire to try new recipes.
  • Another participant discusses the science behind microwave cooking, explaining how it differs from conventional methods and addressing common misconceptions.
  • One participant shares a successful experience with a specific chicken recipe cooked in the microwave, emphasizing the flavor and enjoyment of the dish.
  • Another participant mentions that they enjoy the moisture of microwave cakes, countering the idea that they are often dry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding the safety and quality of microwave cooking, with some expressing enthusiasm and others remaining cautious or skeptical. No clear consensus emerges on the overall perception of microwave cooking.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences and opinions, reflecting a range of comfort levels and preferences regarding microwave cooking. The discussion includes both positive and negative viewpoints, highlighting the subjective nature of cooking methods.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants interested in exploring different cooking methods and sharing experiences with microwave cooking may find this discussion relevant.

ChefJWarren
ChefJWarren
Gold Member
Messages
705
I really like the idea of making cakes, chicken, ribs, pork, etc. in the microwave. Even, at first, I was amazed you could do this. But the thought of cooking something in the microwave kind of grosses me out. I even start to have thoughts about "is it safe???" I know, I'm just weird and paranoid, but it still gives me the willies.:yuck:

My aunt wants some new stoneware and I told her about the 30 minute chicken and she said she didn't feel comfortable cooking something in the microwave. Does anyone out there have some facts to put me at ease?:confused:
 
Ok, well i can tell you that i made the cake in the micro, the tenderloin, and the chicken, and it came out tasting the same as if it were done in the oven.My hubby actually feels the exact same. he says that its weird, new and he doesnt like it. but he ate almost the whole chicken.. yes a whole chicken. I think you should try it, and if you like it, cool ! promote it ! If you dont then ... i dono! But I think people will defiantly like the fact that it cooks food , faster and tastes the same!!Sorry so long, and sorry i dont have any actual facts, only real life stories!!
 
My husband actually prefers cakes I make in the micro. Go figure
 
Oh no!!LOL

There was this huge discussion about this in my homeschool group and how microwaves are evil!! Someone mentioned how they zap the nutrients out of veggies and are dangerous for us. I will try to find the website that person posted in the discussion.

This past week I had a stomach bug and my kids practically lived eating TV dinners, hot pockets, popcorn, and hot dogs from the microwave!! I don't think I ever want to live without one. But that's just my opinion!!

Debbie :D
 
DebbieSAChef said:
LOL

There was this huge discussion about this in my homeschool group and how microwaves are evil!! Someone mentioned how they zap the nutrients out of veggies and are dangerous for us. I will try to find the website that person posted in the discussion.

This past week I had a stomach bug and my kids practically lived eating TV dinners, hot pockets, popcorn, and hot dogs from the microwave!! I don't think I ever want to live without one. But that's just my opinion!!

Debbie :D
Click to expand...
I have read a little on the subject but at this hour my brain is having difficulty recalling all the techincal stuff. I think I saw something on SNOPES. There was something going around about putting plastic in the microwave and it turned out that wasn't true, the micro haters don't want anyone else to use one just because they choose not to. My micro is old and that's the only reason I wouldn't trust "cooking" a meal on it, but as soon as I get a new one... look out!
 
New One!!Hey Addie,

I just got a new one and it's sitting on my dining room floor in the box. I got a matching one to go with my new range that I got for my birthday last weekend. It was delivered on Wednesday but my hubby has been too busy to remove the old one and put the new one up.

I feel the same way!! LOOK OUT!! LOL

It's got so many buttons and it's very nice!! I am looking forward to all my micro dishes and cakes!!

Debbie :D
 
Micro-envy... Right over here! Let me know how your tenderloin comes out, been wanting to try that chicken too!!!
 
my current microwave is too small for the DCB...after all the postings of how great the DCB is in the microwave, I'm thinking of getting a bigger one.

I also hated microwave cakes (they always seemed dry and chewy at the same time to me), until having the mexican chocolate cake from the new SB. That is a winner.:)
 
ChefJWarren, Just make sure the temperature is correct.

Chicken can be undercooked in an oven, rotisserie, and fry pan as well.

If the juices run clear, it's done. If they run pink, it's not.
 
legacypc46 said:
my current microwave is too small for the DCB...after all the postings of how great the DCB is in the microwave, I'm thinking of getting a bigger one.

I also hated microwave cakes (they always seemed dry and chewy at the same time to me), until having the mexican chocolate cake from the new SB. That is a winner.:)
Click to expand...
Must get new micro NOW!!!
 
I agree that when the microwaves first came out food did not taste the same as if you cooked it by another method but they are always improving technology and food tastes just fine cooked in the "newer" microwaves.

...or are we just used to it.:rolleyes:
 
The only thing I am hesitant about is that I really like the skin crispy on my chicken. It probably isn't in the Microwave right?
 
I don't eat the skin on the chicken, but it was crispy. Just brush a little bit of olive oil on top.
 
The microwave has a bad rap, because people hear words form how it works, and make assumptions. (And you know what they say about when you assume... :) )There are things that work better in the microwave than other things, because of how it cooks. A microwave (which will be referred to as "micro" in the remainder of this post because it's shorter to type) does not use electric elements or gas flames to heat up the way a conventional oven does. Instead, it uses a magnetic element (a magnetron) to excite the molecules in the food, causing them to move. As anyone who's ever rubbed their hands together to keep warm knows, things that move against each other create heat through friction. The same is true of the food in your micro. The molecules create friction, which heats up the food. Because it happens throughout the food, it can cook the food faster than in a conventional oven (but not always). Water molecules react the most to the energy that a micro uses, so moist foods cook best in the micro. (Yes, popcorn is a moist food. The small amount of moisture inside the kernels heats up, creating steam, which literally explodes the kernel open. Cool, huh?) Because there's no dry heat, there is no browning like in the oven. That's why cakes come out a little weird on the top, and meat needs a little assistance, like oil, flour and paprika, to add color.The DCB works so well for micro cooking because the food inside it releases some of it's heat into the baker, and that heat is held in by the stoneware, including the lid. So the food ends up roasting a little from it's own heat, in addition to the microwave energy.The part that freaks people out is the word "radiation." People hear that and immediately think of Gamma radiation, which is what creates mutants in comic books. Micros use magnetic radiation. That's, in part, why you can't use metal in the micro. The metal, specifically edges, concentrate the energy, often reflecting it back at the magnetron. Use this as a selling point for our stoneware! Stones from other sources that are marked "not micro safe" are usually labeled that way because they contain lead. Yuk! And anyone who's been following the "Made in China" recalls knows that lead is bad for you.This has been another useless fact from the brain of Ann. :)
 
Ann you are so good!! Man ok that is actually a Great way to sell the DCB, and for those who are "micro scared"... or what ever.. lol.OK here is my experiance with the DCB 30 min chicken....
I made it last night, had to hide the fact that it was in the micro from my hubby, and OMG it was soo good. I bought Paprika, (mccormicks) and i bought one of those seasoning packs, (chipolte pepper) and i actually forgot to flour the bird, but i put oil and garlic on top of the chick, and then the seasoning.
It was soo good, there is NONE left.. just bones
 
Love my Microwave!I love cooking in my microwave. My cakes are always super moist - never dry and chewy!

I make the pork tenderloin a lot and cannot wait to try the new bbq ribs!

When customers ask about the yuck look some foods have (chicken) when cooked in the microwave always tell them to oil and season and they will be beautiful when done!

My advice - if you don't try you will never know if you like it!
 
chefann said:
This has been another useless fact from the brain of Ann. :)
Click to expand...

you are kidding, right, Ann? THIS WAS AMAZING! wherer do you get htis stuff?
 
Son burned popcorn in microwaveOk, since we are on the subject of microwaves I thought this would be a good place to post. I have a pretty new microwave, came with the house about a year and a half ago. My son decided to pop some popcorn however, we think instead of putting it in for 2 minutes it must have had an extra zero or so added to it. My husband was home at the time but was outside whan my son came to him telling him the house was smoky. Took a long time to get that nasty smell out of the house but the microwave will still emit that awful smell when we nuke something. Also, the inside of the microwave has this nasty looking yellow tinge to it now even after I cleaned it. Any suggestions, mainly to get the microwave looking white again? HELP!
 
I cant help you on getting the yellow looking stuff off the microwave but you just made me remeber when my son put his legos in the microwave everytime we used the micro for about 2 weeks we could smell plastic it was horrible
 
I used to teach microwave cooking classes with a previous Direct Selling plan and the biggest point I need to make is that when you use a microwave, you are not nuking your food. Microwaves are just that, energy waves that cause friction which causes heat. They cook by the heat caused by friction, not nuclear energy or anything else. The dangers of the bad stuff coming from a microwave is the same as a tv if you sit really close. Microwaves actually keep a lot of your nutrients in your food because there is no place for it to go like there is when you boil the nutrients out of your food. I hope this helps. To get the smell out of a microwave that has burnt popcorn in it, try a small bowl with vanilla and water in it, put it in the micro for about 1-2 minutes and then let it sit for awhile and let the steam do the work. If that doesn't work try putting in a wad of newspaper when the microwave is dry and close the door. Let it in there overnight. These 2 usually work. Good luck!!!
 
smspamperedchef - have you tried the easy off microwave cleaners. They are little packet - sort like popcorn - that have a pad with cleaner in them. You nuke it and it puffs up and emits steam to clean the microwave.

Just a thought
 
Another mico cleaning tip...Slice a lemon in half, put both halves in a bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. It helps with the burnt popcorn smell (been there), but I am not sure how much it will help with the yellow stains.

Jessica
 
Make pork ribs with the BBQ rub last night in the DCB in the microwave...hubby is VERY picky and kept commenting on how moist they were! I asked him to guess where I cooked them...he said in the oven of course, I said, nope, microwave - 20 minutes!
 
Zapping a prep bowl with 1/2 cup vinegar in it might get that yellow gunk loosened.
 
Same waves as your cell phoneJust a note - Microwaves are the same waves that are used to transmit signals for your cell phone. So if you think cell phones are safe then your microwave is safe. No worries! The microwave has a lower frequency than visible light!
 
try thisYou could also use lemons with water to steem out the smell. Saw this on a cleaning show of some sort on the Home and Garden Channel. Hope it works for you! :)
 
janetupnorth said:
Make pork ribs with the BBQ rub last night in the DCB in the microwave...hubby is VERY picky and kept commenting on how moist they were! I asked him to guess where I cooked them...he said in the oven of course, I said, nope, microwave - 20 minutes!
Click to expand...


I am going to have to try these. Is the grill pan at the end just to make the grill marks on it ?? Or is there an actual purpose for it?
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to cook meat in the microwave?

Yes, it is safe to cook meat in the microwave as long as you follow proper cooking guidelines. Ensure that the meat reaches the appropriate internal temperature to kill any harmful bacteria. Using a food thermometer can help you verify that the meat is cooked thoroughly.

Does microwave cooking affect the taste of meat dishes?

Microwave cooking can preserve the flavor and moisture of meat dishes when done correctly. However, overcooking can lead to dryness and toughness. Using microwave-safe covers and appropriate cooking times can help maintain the meat's deliciousness.

What types of meat can be cooked in the microwave?

Most types of meat, including chicken, beef, pork, and fish, can be cooked in the microwave. It's important to cut the meat into uniform pieces for even cooking and to use microwave-safe containers.

How can I ensure my meat is evenly cooked in the microwave?

To ensure even cooking, arrange the meat in a single layer and avoid overcrowding the microwave. You can also rotate or stir the meat halfway through the cooking time. Using a microwave-safe cover can help trap steam and promote even cooking.

Are there any specific tips for cooking meat dishes in the microwave?

Yes, here are a few tips: use a microwave-safe dish, cover the meat to retain moisture, check the internal temperature with a food thermometer, and allow the meat to rest for a few minutes after cooking to let the juices redistribute.

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