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

Many housewives are accustomed to heating meat in the microwave in order to save time and avoid dirtying the pan in vain. But are such actions justified? Are the beneficial substances in the product destroyed, and does the taste remain the same? Is it even possible to cook meat in a microwave oven? We suggest you find out whether it is worth using a microwave for baking and heating meat dishes.

The operating principle of a microwave oven in simple words

People are put off by the unknown. Some people, on principle, do not cook meat in the microwave because they consider this device a harmful invention. They say that food is irradiated, vitamins and microelements are destroyed, and carcinogens are formed inside. Sometimes housewives refuse to heat meat in the microwave for another reason: the product turns out dry and bland.

Let's see how a microwave oven works. Let's find out whether it's worth giving it up if you're 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 can set dipole molecules in motion. The latter are present in water, fat, sugar, and minerals. That is, in most food products.
3. Initially, molecules in food are arranged randomly. But under the influence of microwaves they line up in the direction of the electric field. Due to the vibrations of molecules at high speed, a frictional force arises, which heats the product.

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

In the microwave, vitamins and minerals do not leak out of food, 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 reheat meat in the microwave?

So, a microwave is a safe electrical appliance. It is not only possible to cook meat in it, but also necessary. The product contains a lot of moisture and fat, and therefore dipole molecules. It’s not for nothing that there are cookbooks on sale with recipes for meat dishes for the microwave oven.

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

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

Bake meat correctly

A microwave can have three modes:

• regular (microwave);
• grill;
• convection.

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

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

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

Convection is analogous to cooking a dish in an oven. For meat it is better to use this mode. Only the cooking time will increase by 1.5-2 times. Thus, 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.

Glass or plastic fireproof dishes and a grill grate are suitable for cooking meat in the microwave. It is strictly forbidden to use regular foil, since the metal reflects microwaves and can damage the electrical appliance.

To prevent the dish from turning out dry

If you are planning to heat meat in a microwave oven, do not cover it with a lid. Place large pieces closer to the center: there the impact of microwaves is stronger. Do not heat meat together with other foods, such as mashed potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, or canned food. Use special microwave-safe glassware.

To avoid dryness, do not leave it on for too long. 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 drop a little vegetable oil on top.

Is it possible to defrost meat in a microwave oven?

Not recommended. Frozen meat is too dense on the inside and moist on the outside. As a result, the upper layers have time to cook, while the middle remains untouched by microwaves.

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

conclusions

Thus, you can cook and reheat meat in the microwave, but you cannot defrost it. Microwaves do not linger in the product; heat treatment occurs due to the friction of molecules. A microwave oven allows you to preserve maximum vitamins and microelements in food. To improve the taste of meat dishes, use wet marinades and sauces during cooking.