How to Microwave Meats and Main Dishes

These microwave tips for meats and main dishes are easy to do and remember and will help you get dinner on the table in a snap.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Know that when thawing hamburger meat, the outside will begin cooking several times before the meat is completely thawed. Defrost for 3 minutes, then remove the outside portions that have defrosted. Continue defrosting the hamburger, taking off the defrosted outside portions at short intervals.
2. Drain the fat from hamburger while it is cooking in the microwave oven (one pound cooks in 5 minutes on high). Cook it in a plastic colander placed inside a casserole dish.
3. Cut cubed meat and chopped vegetables uniformly to cook more evenly.
   
4. Place meaty chicken pieces around the edges and boney chicken pieces in the center of the dish.
5. Shape meatloaf into a ring to eliminate an undercooked center. A glass set in the center of a dish can serve as the mold.
6. Make meat last longer by microwaving fresh meat for 15 to 20 seconds on high in the microwave oven. This cuts down on bacteria that causes meat to spoil.
7. Do not salt the surface of meats and vegatables; it causes dehydration and makes them tough. Unless the recipe calls for using salt in the mixture, salt the meat after it's done.