Sharp R520KST R-428JK/JW Microwave Operation Manual - Page 8

INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MICROWAVE COOKING • Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas towards outside of dish. • Watch cooking time. Cook for the shortest amount of time indicated and add more as needed. Food 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 meat 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 such as meatballs halfway through 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. TEMP 160°F FOOD ... for fresh pork, ground meat, boneless white poultry, fish, seafood, egg dishes and frozen prepared food. 165°F ... 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. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in a thick or dense area away from fat or bone. NEVER leave the thermometer in the 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 waveguide 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. 6