Cooking Tips - Amana ACM1580A Owner's Manual

Cooking Tips

Meat Basics
For specific questions regarding
meat preparation, handling, or stor-
age contact USDA (United States
Department of Agriculture) Meat &
Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555.
Handling Hints
• When shopping, put meat in its
own separate plastic sack to keep
drips off other foods.
• Defrost frozen meats in refrigera-
tor, not at room temperature.
• Keep meat cool and covered until it
is time to cook.
• Wash hands with warm soapy
water before and after handling
meat or raw egg.
• Thoroughly wash any surface or
utensil raw meat or egg touched.
• Do not put cooked meat on the
same plate that held raw meat.
Cooking Tips
• Marinate meat in the refrigerator.
Throw out excess marinade that
came into contact with meat.
• Use an oven-proof meat ther-
mometer.
• Cook meat to internal temperature
recommended by USDA.
• When reheating foods, heat to an
internal temperature of at least
165° F.
• While cooking meats, turn over at
least once.
Storage Safety
• Once carved, refrigerate unused
portion immediately.
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods
cold when serving meals.
• Separate cooked foods into small
portions for fast cooling.
• Do not store cooked ground meats
or meals containing ground meats
for longer than 3 to 4 days in the
refrigerator.
• Do not allow cooked or uncooked
meat juices to come into contact
with ready-to-eat foods such as
fruits or vegetables.
Tenderizing
Braising is only one way to tenderize
less tender cuts. Before cooking, you
may pound, cube, marinate, or use
commercially prepared meat tender-
izers. You may then use a dry method
to cook the meat.
• Marinades are acidic liquids such
as wine, citrus, or
Marinades soften meat fibers but
only penetrate about one-fourth of
an inch into the interior of the meat.
Do not marinate meat for longer
than 24 hours.
• Pounding with a heavy meat mal-
let breaks down the connective tis-
sue to tenderize meat.
• Cubing breaks down the structure
more than pounding.
done at the meat counter.
• Commercial tenderizers are pri-
marily enzymes that work on the
outer fourth inch on a meat cut.
Make sure to follow the manufac-
turer's directions.
20
Using a Meat
Thermometer
When using a meat thermometer,
remember to insert it at a slight
angle, in the thickest part of the meat,
away from fat and bone. The meat
should be removed when 5° F below
the desired final temperature. While
the meat sits before carving, it will
continue to cook internally, raising
the last 5° F by itself.
Meat thermometer
• Takes the guesswork out of cook-
ing to a desired 'doneness'.
• Helps reduce the risk of foodborne
illness.
Oven-safe Thermometer
(convection mode only)
• Inserted before the meat is placed
in the oven, this thermometer stays
with the meat while it cooks.
• The internal temperature will rise
slowly as the meat cooks.
• DO NOT use a metal thermometer
in the oven in COMBINATION
vinegar.
mode or MICROWAVE mode.
Instant-read Thermometer
• Not oven safe, these thermometers
are placed in the meat when it is
removed from the oven.
• While times may vary, an accurate
temperature is normally displayed
within one to two minutes.
• When using
Cubing is remember to clean the thermome-
ter stem with warm, soapy water
between readings.
an instant-read,