# some things you just can't microwave



## Delta-T (Oct 11, 2013)

i'm sure i am like many others and last nights dinner is also today's lunch. my complaint is in reference to steak. I made spicy teriyaki steak and rice...also some pot stickers. Steak is just the worst when reheated in microwave...the worst. it is the proverbial "shoe leather". And so, lunch becomes white rice, and some pot stickers. i do not eat the food of the water (fishes, clamses and their cousins, or the cockroach of the sea) but ig hazard a guess that they also lose something in the ole microwave. DANG YOU MICROWAVE! DANG YOU!


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## BrotherBart (Oct 11, 2013)

Reheat it at half power instead of nuking it at full power.


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## Delta-T (Oct 11, 2013)

are you for serious or just messin with me? I have heard rumor of this "half power" setting, but never used it.


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## fossil (Oct 11, 2013)

If you have the option of selecting a power level, that's gonna make a huge difference.  On mine, instead of just punching the button that gives it a minute on high, I can set the time, and select a power level from 1 to 10.  Some stuff I heat gently...low power, couple minutes (maybe), let it "rest", do it again if needed.  I've had pretty good results.


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## Delta-T (Oct 11, 2013)

i can select the power rating and whatnot...just never have. not in all my days of using the microwave. I semi assumed they were for show...like all the flashing lights on the console of the original Enterprise. Lots of beeping. I shall give it a go nect time. thank you.


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## maple1 (Oct 11, 2013)

Next time, once you have your food on the plate, put a bowl upside down over top of it. Over top of the food, that is - you don't want the bowl bigger around than the plate or you'll have a mess to clean up.

Keeps all the good in. Or at least as much of it as possible.

Tossing out day old steak? Blasphemy!


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## Delta-T (Oct 11, 2013)

thank you, i do always cover the food, usually it is in microwave safe type container system with lid slightly ajar to keep from exploding.


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## flyingcow (Oct 11, 2013)

This subject got me thinking of a time 25 yrs ago, or so. Single days, running with a hard working crowd, that when saturday came it was lets get together and hang out. With a few beers of course.

Microwaves had been around for a bit, but not that long. Told a good friends wife(we were at her house), that it's a simple breakfast and good. Take an egg(keep it in the shell) and wrap with bacon. Bacon keeps the shell soft and prevents a mess.

Bang...funny at the time.


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## Elderthewelder (Oct 11, 2013)

Delta-T said:


> thank you, i do always cover the food, usually it is in microwave safe type container system with lid slightly ajar to keep from exploding.



Instead of a lid get some moist paper towels and cover the meat with them, and as others have said lower the heat some, another trick is to set a small cup of water next to the plate while cooking

I nuke leftover steak all the time for my lunch at work, no it does not come out the medium rare that i put it in as, but still comes out respectable. Key is to get / keep some moisture in it


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## Frozen Canuck (Oct 11, 2013)

Delta-T said:


> (fishes, clamses and their cousins, or the cockroach of the sea)



Now , now we will have none of that, you simply can't lump all the essential food groups together & then call them bad! Blasphemy indeed!


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## Dix (Oct 11, 2013)

Add the steak for the last 15 - 20 seconds at a "higher power", stir, and serve. No shoe leather


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## Doug MacIVER (Oct 11, 2013)

when I need a need a new microwave I  just set it on high with a half dozen eggs in it.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 11, 2013)

Had a left over chuck eye tonight that was microwaved . . . came out great. I think it was rare though when I cooked it .. .  medium rare after a short stint in the microwave merry go around.


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## fbelec (Oct 12, 2013)

always cover and add a tablespoon of water cook at 50% power. Chinese comes out great meat or no meat. with the addition of water rice won't be a lump.


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## Seasoned Oak (Oct 12, 2013)

Leftover steak, chopped up simmered with onions,mushrooms and topped with mozz cheese becomes a philly cheese-steak sub. Whats not to like.


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## maple1 (Oct 12, 2013)

When I cook mashed potatoes, I always cook way more than we need. Throw some in a frying pan on high heat a couple days later, cut in some leftover meat (steak = awesome), onions, whatever-other-veggies, sprinkle some steak spice, some good stirring & top with a bit of cheese. Pretty good end result for 5 minutes work.

Guess this is getting away from microwaves....


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## begreen (Oct 12, 2013)

it helps to remove the steak from the steer before microwaving.


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## Delta-T (Oct 15, 2013)

Frozen Canuck said:


> Now , now we will have none of that, you simply can't lump all the essential food groups together & then call them bad! Blasphemy indeed!


I would never call the ocean foods "bad" just that i dont eat them....I say "cockroach of the sea" as a term of endearment for the lobster. They so cute and cuddly just like cockroaches.


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 15, 2013)

Eat it cold. There are lot of foods that I prefer cold she left over


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## Ashful (Oct 15, 2013)

begreen said:


> it helps to remove the steak from the steer before microwaving.


I appreciate the use of the Greek alphabet, βεγρεεν.


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## Dave A. (Oct 15, 2013)

When I cook up meat (hamburger, london broil, steaks, chops)  I do it in large quantities on the grill and barely cook them, just so the surface is colored and gets grill marks but very undercooked inside.  Then I freeze on freezer shelf and put in a freezer bag(s) after frozen.  To serve lets say a 6-8 oz hamburger (5/8- 3/4" thick). I cover a pan on the gas stove put on high while I defrost/par cook the hamburger on high for about 1 min to 1.5 min in microwave, then about 2 minutes in the covered pan that's already heated up (usually with a slice of cheese that will melt, burger will be pinkish inside but hot).

If using the microwave alone (no stove, or oven) to reheat meat to serve, will cover with a wet paper towel to keep from drying out, but prefer to parcook/defrost in microwave and finish with real surface heat (stove/oven/toaster oven).


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Oct 15, 2013)

What is this new fangled contraption you speak of?


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## fossil (Oct 15, 2013)

Run away!  They make your food radioactive.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 15, 2013)

fossil said:


> Run away!  They make your food radioactive.



Dad went to his grave believing that. Wouldn't let one in the house.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Oct 15, 2013)

I'm more afraid of the loss of counter space


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## Swedishchef (Oct 15, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Dad went to his grave believing that. Wouldn't let one in the house.


 
I know lots of people who think that you should not leave the microwave door open since it let's radiation out...even when not running!


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## Ashful (Oct 15, 2013)

I spend most of my day hovering over / working on high power microwave circuitry.  One well known fact is that microwave engineers and techs only have daughters, but aside from that (and countless burns, fires, explosions, and the very rare instant death), the many geriatric engineers with whom I work (post-WW2 era radar guys) all swear its safe.


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## Swedishchef (Oct 15, 2013)

God bless the dipoles of various molecules such as water, fats and sugars. It lets me get popcorn in 3 mins 30 seconds and a warmed pizza pocket in 90 seconds.

But it does turn steak into a rubber boot at high temps. You essentially strain all water/fat/moisture out of it when running on high. Try a lower setting as others have suggested.


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## Dustin92 (Oct 15, 2013)

If I'm reheating something on a dinner plate, I always put a glass (pyrex) pie plate over it. It has enough weight to hold splatters and steam in, which helps keep things moist and keeps the microwave cleaner. I pretty much set it and forget it, and that makes it a bit more forgiving.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 16, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Dad went to his grave believing that. Wouldn't let one in the house.


 
Grandmother kept getting them as Christmas gifts . . . and then would give them away to other folks. She finally kept one when she learned she could microwave popcorn . . . and that's all she used it for until the day she died.


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 18, 2013)

Microwave popcorn- mmm mmm diacetyl! You can keep it.

I'm a chemist that avoids nasty chemicals.


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## Dave A. (Oct 18, 2013)

Popcorn lung.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-chameides/the-chemical-marketplace_b_1943728.html


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## semipro (Oct 18, 2013)

Microwaving a CD is pretty entertaining.


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## begreen (Oct 18, 2013)

You can't microwave a yappy miniature poodle, no matter how great the temptation.


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## fbelec (Oct 19, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> Microwave popcorn- mmm mmm diacetyl! You can keep it.
> 
> I'm a chemist that avoids nasty chemicals.


 
what is Diacety


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## fbelec (Oct 19, 2013)

never mind dah i just read the article


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## firefighterjake (Oct 19, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> Microwave popcorn- mmm mmm diacetyl! You can keep it.
> 
> I'm a chemist that avoids nasty chemicals.


 
I've switched over myself to just putting some popcorn into a paperbag and microwaving it . . . and then pouring some melted butter on top. Much better tasting . . . and probably better for me.


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## Swedishchef (Oct 19, 2013)

Does that work well Jake?


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## firefighterjake (Oct 19, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> Does that work well Jake?


 
Depends . . . sometimes I have too much popcorn in the bag and some kernels don't pop up. Otherwise, it works OK . . . I just put them in the paperbag, fold it over and hit the "popcorn" setting.


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## semipro (Oct 19, 2013)

We've had and used one of these for about 15 years for microwave popcorn.  Works great.
http://www.nordicware.com/store/products/detail/2265E7B0-7C89-102A-B382-0002B3267AD7


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## begreen (Oct 19, 2013)

Looks good, and it has an epic Viking logo!


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