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[ Food Characteristics J
Bone and Fat
Both bone and fat affect cooking. 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 overeook,
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 ex., jelly donuts). When a jelly
donut is heated, the jelly can become extremely
hot while the exterior remains warm to the touch
This could result in a burn ifthe food is not
allowed to cool properly in the center.
Quantity
Two potatoes take _ongerto cook than one pota-
to. AS the quantity of the food increases so does
the cooking time. When cooking small amounts of
food such as one or two potatoes, do not leave
oven unattended. The moisture content in the
food may decrease and a fire could result.
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.
Size
Thin pieces cook more quickly than thick pieces.
Starting Temperature
Foods that are room temperature take less time
to cook than if they are chilled or refrigerated or
frozen
I Cooking Techniques I
Piercing
Foods with skins or membranes must be pierced
scored or have a strip of skin peeled before cook-
ing to allow steam to escape. Pierce whole egg
yolks and whites, 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 frankfurters.
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;
brush on before cooking.
For quick breads or muffins, brown sugar can be
used in the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or
the surface can be sprinkled with dark spices
before baking,
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