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So I've been getting interested in using my microwave oven for more things lately, particularly meat. The results have been erratic, and the meat seems less tender than when cooked conventionally.

My mother had a cookbook that came with a cooker in the 50s which described all the different cuts of meat, and how to roast them.

I'm wondering if anyone ever came up with something similar for microwave cooking.

Particularly, I would like to know about microwave methods for cooking meat that give really tender results.

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2 Answers

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Some microwaves are built to cook purposefully uneven. They also cook from the outside in which is why you will notice that your meat is probably overcooked on the outside.

I'm somewhat anti-microwaves although that said, I use one every single day to reheat food. But I don't use a microwave to cook the majority of our food because of how they can break down the nutrients in food, espeically meat protiens.

My mom, however, uses the microwave to cook most of her meals...including Meat Loaf. And I can testify that, although I think my oven meatloaf is better, hers is actually pretty moist and tender. She uses a "Low" setting while cooking it and forms the meat into a circular ring (a circle with a hole in the middle). I think the ring shape and the low setting help the meat cook slower and more evenly which is what an oven is designed for! :)

My newer microwave doesn't seem to have a low setting besides defrost, but hers is older.

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 Apart from the full power setting, there are enormous variations between makes on what the lower settings mean (some scientists I know did some research into this a while back). It looks like your mother has "learned her microwave". – klypos♦ Mar 18 at 0:51
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 I had forgotten about this, but you are right - a lot of microwaves don't cook evenly, especially in the middle, and arranging things into a ring makes a lot of sense. Probably better to cut the meat into bitesize pieces before cooking, too. I have found that a help. – cliffbax.mp Mar 18 at 1:02
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Like Sabrina, this is not something I would normally do at all. She is absolutely right about the nutrient stripping, and the cooking from the outside-in, thus getting a tough exterior and a raw or cold interior! For me, microwaves are for defrosting, reheating and the vitally important making popcorn!

However, I did do some research for you:

Microwaving cooking meat includes tips about converting oven recipes for microwaves and materials for covering meat, I guess so it cooks more evenly and doesn't dry out so much. also this bit of info which looks like sound advice: "Oven cooking bags are safe to use in the microwave, and, in fact, encouraged for cooking meat like poultry and large cuts of meat. Safe temperatures (internal and surface temperatures) and even heating throughout the food are promoted by their use."

This article also looks like it might help you and has further links, all about microwaving meat. A good, though grammatically interesting, quote from it: "Cooking meat in the microwave oven? This can be a big NO for most people. Their reason will usually be ... that the chicken meat can eventually end up feeling like a rubber and that the ground beef will not be entirely cooked. But these things can be a myth after all! Why so? Because if only you know of the microwave cooking tips for meats, you will not say the same thing. The secret i know the right types of cooking utensils to be utilized!"

I am sure you could search the Internet for other,specific recipes too. I am sure it is possible, but you may have to accept some compromise in terms of flavour or it being a little drier.

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 Ah yes, popcorn. My husband tried it the old fashioned way on the stove once...disaster, to include multiple smoke detectors going off. :) Hmmm new question idea! – Sabrina♦ Mar 9 at 8:00

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