DEFROSTING
CHART
It is necessary to have standing time after defrosting food in the oven to complete
defrosting. Following are standing time for each food for your reference.
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Item
Beef
Ground beef
Turn over. Remove defrosted portion.
Liver
Drain liquid.Separate pieces.
Roasts
Turn over. Cover ends with foil.
Sirloin steak
Turn over.
Rib or T-bone
Turn over.
Flank steak
Turn over.
Stewing meat
Break apart.
During Defrosting
Standing time
5 - 10 mm.
10 - !5 min.
20 - 40 mm.
5 - 10 mm.
10 - 20 mm.
5 - 10 mm.
5 - 10 mln.
Pork
Ground pork
Bacon
Chops
Ribs
Roasts
Turn over. Remove defrosted portion,
5 - 10 min.
Defrost in originalwrapper.Turn over.i
3 -15rnin
Separate and turn over.
5 - 10 min.
Turn over.
10 - 20 min.
Turn over. Cover ends with foil.
20 - 40 rain.
Lamb
Ground lamb
Chops
Ribs
Roasts
Turn over. Remove defrosted
portion.
Separate.
Turn over.
Turn over.
Turn over. Cover end with foil.
5 - 10 min.
5 - 10 min.
10 - 20 min.
20 - 40 min.
Poultry
Chicken, whole
Pieces
Cornish
hens
Turn over. Cover ends with foil. Rinse
under cold water after defrosting.
Separate.
Turn over.
Turn over. Cover ends with foil. Rinse
under cold water after defrosting.
15 - 30 min.
10 - 15 min.
15 - 30 min.
Fish and Seafood
Crabmeat,
Shrimp
Fish fillets
Fish whole
Steaks
Scallops
Break apart.
Turn over. Rearrange.
Rinse under cold
water to separate
after defrosting.
Turn over. Cover head and tail with foil.
Turn over.
Break apart. Remove defrosted
seafood.
5 - 10 min.
5 - 10 min.
5 - 10 min.
5 - 10 min.
5 - 10 min.
COOKING
TECHNIQUES
Advantages of microwave cooking are
speed and efficiency. For warming,
heating, and defrosting, nothing really
compares. There are a few tips that will
make microwaving easier and more
enjoyable.
Microwave
Cooking
Principles
Because microwave cooking requires
only one-quarter to one-third the time of
conventional cooking, the same cooking
principles become even more important.
Quantity
The more food being cooked, the longer
you will have to cook it. As a general
Delicate
Ingredients
Some foods require special attention
when cooked in the microwave oven.
Delicate foods such as eggs, cheese,
mayonnaise, etc. cook so quickly, they
should be watched carefully.
Microwave
Cooking
Techniques
Arranging: Arrange foods in a circular
pattern, when possible.
Piercing: Pierce the membrane of foods
such as eggs, oysters, snails, sausages,
livers, clams and whole vegetables, so
they do not burst.
Covering: Covering speeds heating
andpmvents spattering, : :
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When cutting a recipe in half, reduce the
time by about 40 percent.
Density
Dense foods, such as potatoes, roasts
and carrots, absorb microwave energy
less quickly than porous foods such as
ground beef or mashed potatoes.
Therefore, denser foods take longer to
cook.
Shape and Size
Small pieces cook faster than large
ones. For even cooking, it is important to
have all the pieces the same size.
Evenly shaped pieces, round or
doughnut shaped, microwave best.
When cooking items of varying
thickness, arrange the thick portion near
the outer edge of the dish.
Moisture,
Sugar
and Fat
Food high in moisture, sugar or fat cook
faster than foods that are low in these
substances. Add a minimum of liquidto
moist foods. An excess amount of water
slows cooking.
Starting
Temperature
Frozen or refrigerated foods take longer
to microwave than food at room
temperature.
Converting
Recipes
Microwave recipes will likely call for less
liquid and cooking time.
Safety
Food Temperatures
For your safety, following temperature is
recommended to avoid potential food
poisoning problems.
160°F (71°C):
Meat, Fish, Eggs
165°F (74°C):
Reheating
foods
170°F (77°C):
Poultry
(White
Meat)
180°F (82°C):
Poultry
(Dark Meat)
Turning Over: To help larger foods
such as roasts or whole chickens cook
more evenly.
Reheating: Place food that is denser/
larger/thicker
to the outer edge and the
smaller/thinner
or more porous food to
the center.
Shielding:To
prevent overcooking, thin
_i
or bony areas can be protected with
small strips of aluminum foil.
Standing Time: Foods continue
cooking even after removal from the
oven. Standing time is necessary to
_,
allow foods to complete cooking.
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