Panasonic NNSN973S Food Characteristics, Cooking Techniques, Bone and Fat, Density, Quantity

Food Characteristics

Bone and Fat

Both bone and fat affect cook- ing. Bones may cause irregular cooking. Meat next to the tips of bones may overcook while

meat positioned under a large bone, such as a ham bone, may be undercooked. Large amounts of fat absorb microwave energy and the meat next to these areas may overcook.

Density

Porous, airy foods such as breads, cakes or rolls take less time to cook than heavy, dense foods such as potatoes

and roasts. When reheating donuts or other foods with different centers be very careful. Certain foods have centers made with sugar, water, or fat and these centers attract microwaves (For example, jelly do- nuts). When a jelly donut is heated, the jelly can become extremely hot while the exte- rior remains warm to the touch. This could result in a burn if the food is not allowed to cool properly in the center.

Quantity

Two potatoes take longer to cook than one potato. As the quantity of the food decreases so does the cooking time. Overcooking will cause the moisture content in the food to decrease and a fire

could result. Never leave microwave unat- tended while in use.

Shape

Uniform sizes heat more evenly. The thin end of a drumstick will cook more quickly than the meaty

end. To compensate for irregular shapes, place thin parts toward the center of the dish and thick pieces toward the edge.

Cooking Techniques

Piercing

Foods with skins or mem- branes must be pierced scored or have a strip of skin peeled before cooking to al-

low steam to escape. Pierce clams, oysters, chicken livers, whole potatoes and whole vegetables. Whole apples or new potatoes should have a 1-inch strip of skin peeled before cooking. Score sausages and frank- furters. Do not Cook/Reheat whole eggs with or without the shell. Steam build up in whole eggs may cause them to explode, and possibly damage the oven or cause injury. Reheating SLICED hard-boiled eggs and cooking SCRAMBLED eggs is safe.

Browning

Foods will not have the same brown appearance as conventionally cooked foods or those foods which

are cooked utilizing a browning feature. Meats and poultry may be coated with browning sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or shake-on browning sauce. To use, combine browning sauce with melted butter or margarine and brush on before cooking. For quick breads or muf- fins, brown sugar can be used in the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or the surface can be sprinkled with dark spices before baking.

Spacing

Individual foods, such as baked potatoes, cupcakes and appetizers, will cook more evenly if placed in the oven equal distances

apart. When possible, arrange foods in a circular pattern.

Size

Thin pieces cook more quickly than thick pieces.

Starting Temperature

Foods that are at room temperature take less time to cook than if they are chilled, refrigerated, or frozen.

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