Sharp R-209B Operation Manual page 8

About Microwave Cooking
* Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas
toward outside of dish.
* Watch cooking time. Cook for the shortest
amount of time indicated and add more as
needed. Foods severely overcooked can smoke
or ignite.
* Cover foods while cooking. Check recipe or
cookbook for suggestions: paper towels, wax
paper, microwave plastic wrap or a lid. Covers
prevent spattering and help foods to cook
evenly.
* Shield with small flat pieces of aluminum foil
any thin areas of meats or poultry to prevent
overcooking before dense, thick areas are
cooked thoroughly.
* Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or
twice during cooking, if possible.
* Turn foods over once during microwaving to
speed cooking of such foods as chicken and
hamburgers. Large items like roasts must be
turned over at least once.
* Rearrange foods like meatballs halfwaythrough
cooking both from top to bottom and from the
center of the dish to the outside.
* Add standing time. Remove food from oven
and stir, if possible. Cover for standing time
which allows the food to finish cooking without
overcooking.
* Check for doneness. Look for signs indicating
that cooking temperatures have been reached.
Doneness signs include:
- Food steams throughout, not just at edge.
- Center bottom of dish is very hot to the
touch.
- Poultry thigh joints move easily.
- Meat and poultry show no pinkness.
- Fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
About Safety
* Check foods to see that they are cooked to the
United States Department of Agriculture's
recommended temperatures:
r TEMP FOOD "_
160OF ... for fresh pork, ground meat,
boneless white poultry, fish,
seafood, egg dishes and
frozen prepared food.
165OF ... for leftover, ready-to-reheat
refrigerated, and deli and
carry-out "fresh" food.
170°F ... white meat of poultry.
_, 180°F ... dark meat of poultry, j
To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in
a thick or dense area away from fat or bone. NEVER
leave the thermometer in food during cooking, unless
it is approved for microwave oven use.
* Always use potholders to prevent burns when
handling utensils that are in contact with hot
food. Enough heat from the food can transfer
through utensils to cause skin burns.
* Avoid steam burns by directing steam away
from the face and hands. Slowly lift the farthest
edge of a dish's covering and carefully open
popcorn and oven cooking bags away from the
face.
* Stay near the oven while it's in use and check
cooking progress frequently so that there is no
chance of overcooking food.
* NEVER use the cavity for storing cookbooks or
other items.
* Select, store and handle food carefully to
preserve its high quality and minimize the spread
of foodborne bacteria.
* Keep wave guide cover clean. Food residue
can cause arcing and/or fires.
* Use care when removing items from the oven
so that the utensil, your clothes or accessories
do not touch the safety door latches.
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