I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes happens
that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even though the
pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills froth on
pasta or rice.

Any ideas?

dalebenjamin wrote:
> I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
> meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes
> happens that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even
> though the pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills
> froth on pasta or rice.
>
> Any ideas?

First of all, stop defrosting meat in the microwave and definitely stop
partially cooking meat in it before you "finish it off". What a horrible
image! A microwave was not intended for this.

The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not completely
defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice crystals from
the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your burner
is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is inducing
liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you mean, pan
frying it until it's browned).

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> dalebenjamin wrote:
> > I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
> > meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes
> > happens that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even
> > though the pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills
> > froth on pasta or rice.
> >
> > Any ideas?
>
> First of all, stop defrosting meat in the microwave and definitely stop
> partially cooking meat in it before you "finish it off". What a horrible
> image! A microwave was not intended for this.
>
You got one wrong and one right...

Most modern microwave ovens do an excellent job defrosting meat when
they are properly used.

However, the meat should be monitored and removed from the mirowave
oven before it starts to heat up and cook.

...fred

"jmcquown" > wrote

> dalebenjamin wrote:
>> I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
>> meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes
>> happens that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even
>> though the pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills
>> froth on pasta or rice.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not
> completely
> defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice crystals
> from
> the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your
> burner
> is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is
> inducing
> liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you mean,
> pan
> frying it until it's browned).

Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote
>
>> dalebenjamin wrote:
>>> I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part
>>> cooking meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it
>>> sometimes happens that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils
>>> over even though the pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan,
>>> which kills froth on pasta or rice.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>> The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not
>> completely
>> defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice
>> crystals from
>> the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your
>> burner
>> is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is
>> inducing
>> liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you
>> mean, pan
>> frying it until it's browned).
>
> Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?
>
> nancy

That's entirely possible. He doesn't specify what "meat" this is. I've
found (completely removing the microwave equation) I've gotten "froth" from
round steak or chucke steak which was either (a) water-injected or (b) I had
my pan set too low to properly cook the meat. It's an either/or
proposition, I guess. I don't know what to do about water-injected meat but
I do know turning up the heat allowed the meat to brown without "froth".

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote

> Nancy Young wrote:
>> "jmcquown" > wrote

>>> The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not
>>> completely
>>> defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice
>>> crystals from
>>> the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your
>>> burner
>>> is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is
>>> inducing
>>> liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you
>>> mean, pan
>>> frying it until it's browned).
>>
>> Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?

> That's entirely possible. He doesn't specify what "meat" this is. I've
> found (completely removing the microwave equation) I've gotten "froth"
> from
> round steak or chucke steak which was either (a) water-injected or (b) I
> had
> my pan set too low to properly cook the meat. It's an either/or
> proposition, I guess. I don't know what to do about water-injected meat
> but
> I do know turning up the heat allowed the meat to brown without "froth".

Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to prepare meat the way you usually do
and suddenly the pan is full of water. I will try higher heat next time
this
happens.

nancy

dalebenjamin wrote:

> I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
> meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes
> happens that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even
> though the pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills
> froth on pasta or rice.

Broken meat cells: or you froze that meat too slowly, or you defrosted it
too quickly.

PS - freezing well requires much more than a normal household freeze, which
is good only to preserve something already frozen with better systems.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

jmcquown wrote:
>
> First of all, stop defrosting meat in the microwave and definitely stop
> partially cooking meat in it before you "finish it off". What a horrible
> image! A microwave was not intended for this.
>
> The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not completely
> defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice crystals from
> the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your burner
> is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is inducing
> liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you mean, pan
> frying it until it's browned).
>
> Jill
>
>

The newer microwaves do a good job defrosting stuff. With our older oven
if you forgot to defrost something and tried to use its defrost setting
it would cook part of the meat while another part would remain frozen.
It died and I picked up a Panasonic which claims to have "inverter
technology" which instead of lowering the pulse width keeps the
microwaves on at a lower intensity. It does a great job defrosting
everything including items like bagels. I get real boiled bagels from a
mom & pop bakery. Sometimes there are a few leftovers and previously
they would get tossed to the birds because freeze/thaw never worked. Now
they are almost as good as when they went in the freezer when thawed in
the new oven.

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > news:bN2dnf-f-
> :
>>
>> Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?

> That is very possible Nancy. I've defrosted meat in the microwave in a
> pinch and not had any negative results from it. I've never partially
> cooked the meat in a microwave. It's a personal preference with me. Thaw
> it in the fridge and cook it on the stove
>
> Michael <- sorta old fashioned sometimes

Oh, I'm with you. I don't defrost in the microwave if I can help it.
Cook it partially? I'll order a pizza first if I'm in that much of a hurry.
No offense meant to the OP. Ugh, my ex-fil, he'd partially cook
chicken for the grill, I just *hated* that.

To me, microwaving is essentially boiling food from the inside,
getting the liquids in it heated. Simplistic? Perhaps, but I don't
feel that this is a way to cook meat. I can see that it would do
what ? Vilco said, burst the cells.

Just me, I know I'll get hollered at. Heh.

nancy

>>> Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?
>
>> That's entirely possible. He doesn't specify what "meat" this is.
>> I've found (completely removing the microwave equation) I've gotten
>> "froth" from
>> round steak or chucke steak which was either (a) water-injected or
>> (b) I had
>> my pan set too low to properly cook the meat. It's an either/or
>> proposition, I guess. I don't know what to do about water-injected
>> meat but
>> I do know turning up the heat allowed the meat to brown without
>> "froth".
>
> Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to prepare meat the way you usually
> do and suddenly the pan is full of water. I will try higher heat
> next time this
> happens.
>
> nancy

Most of the time I've run into this is with round steak which I've cut into
cubes to brown before adding to soup and suddenly there's this froth. It's
probably been water injected but I don't know. I do think the froth comes
moisture interacting with oil in the pan to brown the meat. It *could* be
the natural juices from the meat (I'm going to have to assume beef, veal or
lamb, no way to tell from the original post) but who knows? At any rate,
it's way too low heat in the pan to brown the meat.

Jill

"dalebenjamin" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking
> meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes happens
> that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even though the
> pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills froth on
> pasta or rice.
>
> Any ideas?
>

This may seem like an odd question, but do you make pancakes, ever? What do
you cook them on?

George wrote:

> I get real boiled bagels

Never seen boiled bagels, I thougth those were "pretzel". Will look forward
for them
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

Oh pshaw, on Thu 09 Nov 2006 08:49:28a, George meant to say...

> jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> First of all, stop defrosting meat in the microwave and definitely stop
>> partially cooking meat in it before you "finish it off". What a
>> horrible image! A microwave was not intended for this.
>>
>> The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not
>> completely defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still
>> ice crystals from the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on
>> the stove your burner is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off".
>> All you're doing is inducing liquid out rather than "finishing it off"
>> (by which I suppose you mean, pan frying it until it's browned).
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>
> The newer microwaves do a good job defrosting stuff. With our older oven
> if you forgot to defrost something and tried to use its defrost setting
> it would cook part of the meat while another part would remain frozen.
> It died and I picked up a Panasonic which claims to have "inverter
> technology" which instead of lowering the pulse width keeps the
> microwaves on at a lower intensity. It does a great job defrosting
> everything including items like bagels. I get real boiled bagels from a
> mom & pop bakery. Sometimes there are a few leftovers and previously
> they would get tossed to the birds because freeze/thaw never worked. Now
> they are almost as good as when they went in the freezer when thawed in
> the new oven.
>

I've had a Panasonic with "inverter technology" for about 3 years and it
cooks like no other microwave I've ever owned. I don't know of any other
brand that cooks this way, but it's amazingly good. The oven does not
cycle on and off to maintain a less than 100% power setting. Rather, it
actually maintains a constant lower power at whatever settng you choose.
The Whirlpool over-the-range unit that will be in our new house does not
have this, so I expect I will also be using the smaller Panasonic as well.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

(I may not agree with a word you say, but I shall
defend unto my death your right to say it. (Voltaire)

"George" > wrote

> microwaves on at a lower intensity. It does a great job defrosting
> everything including items like bagels. I get real boiled bagels from a
> mom & pop bakery. Sometimes there are a few leftovers and previously they
> would get tossed to the birds because freeze/thaw never worked. Now they
> are almost as good as when they went in the freezer when thawed in the new
> oven.

That's very interesting, that kind of result would sure make a
microwave much more useful. Knock on wood I don't have to
replace mine any time soon (it's built-in), but I'll look for that
capability when I do.

nancy

Vilco wrote:
> George wrote:
>
>> I get real boiled bagels
>
> Never seen boiled bagels, I thougth those were "pretzel". Will look forward
> for them

Similar process and thats how real bagels are made. They have a glossy
rich brown finish and are a little chewy. You won't be disappointed.
Those things you typically find in a big box store are just relabeled
wonderbread hamburger buns with a hole pressed in the middle.

Nancy Young wrote:
> "George" > wrote
>
>> microwaves on at a lower intensity. It does a great job defrosting
>> everything including items like bagels. I get real boiled bagels from a
>> mom & pop bakery. Sometimes there are a few leftovers and previously they
>> would get tossed to the birds because freeze/thaw never worked. Now they
>> are almost as good as when they went in the freezer when thawed in the new
>> oven.
>
> That's very interesting, that kind of result would sure make a
> microwave much more useful. Knock on wood I don't have to
> replace mine any time soon (it's built-in), but I'll look for that
> capability when I do.
>
> nancy
>
>

I was surprised how well it works. I bought it without any research
because it was made by Panasonic which typically makes decent stuff.

It also works much better for cooking stuff that I would never
previously put in a microwave.

jmcquown wrote:
> >>> Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?
> >
> >> That's entirely possible. He doesn't specify what "meat" this is.
> >> I've found (completely removing the microwave equation) I've gotten
> >> "froth" from
> >> round steak or chucke steak which was either (a) water-injected or
> >> (b) I had
> >> my pan set too low to properly cook the meat. It's an either/or
> >> proposition, I guess. I don't know what to do about water-injected
> >> meat but
> >> I do know turning up the heat allowed the meat to brown without
> >> "froth".
> >
> > Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to prepare meat the way you usually
> > do and suddenly the pan is full of water. I will try higher heat
> > next time this
> > happens.
> >
> > nancy
>
> Most of the time I've run into this is with round steak which I've cut into
> cubes to brown before adding to soup and suddenly there's this froth. It's
> probably been water injected but I don't know. I do think the froth comes
> moisture interacting with oil in the pan to brown the meat. It *could* be
> the natural juices from the meat (I'm going to have to assume beef, veal or
> lamb, no way to tell from the original post) but who knows? At any rate,
> it's way too low heat in the pan to brown the meat.
>
> Jill

Wow, what a response!

I wrote;


I got a microwave recently, and have been defrosting and part cooking

meat in it. I finish the meat in a saute pan, and it sometimes
happens
that I get a lot of froth from the meat, it boils over even though
the
pan is barely half full, Has oil in the pan, which kills froth on
pasta or rice.

Any ideas?

jmcquown says;

First of all, stop defrosting meat in the microwave and definitely
stop
partially cooking meat in it before you "finish it off". What a
horrible
image! A microwave was not intended for this.

The froth you mention is from too much liquid. Either you've not
completely
defrosting/partially cooking the meat and there are still ice
crystals from
the frozen meat OR when you put this meat in a pan on the stove your
burner
is set waaaay to low when you "finish it off". All you're doing is
inducing
liquid out rather than "finishing it off" (by which I suppose you
mean, pan
frying it until it's browned). Jill

To which I calmly reply that what a microwave was intended for and good
for may be different things. I get my beef from the economy
supermarkets, at well under $2/lb. E. Coli seems to be allergic to
microwaves, to my delight! It seems that the microwave is faster and
more efficient than the 20th century stovetop.

I think you got it right about too much liquid, although I've often
cooked chuck or round that would develop near a half inch of liquid in
the pan, cook down over a half hour or hour without frothing. Maybe
the microwave 'cooking from the inside' has something to do with the
froth.

kuvasz guy wrote more in reply to Jill than me;

You got one wrong and one right...

Most modern microwave ovens do an excellent job defrosting meat when
they are properly used.

However, the meat should be monitored and removed from the mirowave
oven before it starts to heat up and cook. ..fred

I think microwaves do a decent job of cooking meat, but I miss the
carmelization on the outside. I'm no real big fan of gourmet food.

Nancy Young wrote;

Also, perhaps he's getting liquid from water-injected meat?

It wasn't labelled as water injected, although turkeys have been
hereabouts for over a decade if such was the case.

jmcquown wrote:

That's entirely possible. He doesn't specify what "meat" this is.
I've
found (completely removing the microwave equation) I've gotten
"froth" from
round steak or chucke steak which was either (a) water-injected or
(b) I had
my pan set too low to properly cook the meat. It's an either/or
proposition, I guess. I don't know what to do about water-injected
meat but
I do know turning up the heat allowed the meat to brown without
"froth". Jill

That seems more than passing strange, turning up the heat to reduce
frothing. I'll probably try turning it down first.

Nancy Young wrote;

Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to prepare meat the way you usually
do
and suddenly the pan is full of water. I will try higher heat next
time
this happens. nancy


Water I expect, but not froth.

Vilco wrote;

Broken meat cells: or you froze that meat too slowly, or you
defrosted it
too quickly.

PS - freezing well requires much more than a normal household freeze,
which
is good only to preserve something already frozen with better
systems.
-- Vilco Think pink, drink rose'

In this particular case which prompted my post, it wasn't frozen or
defrosted, just 10 minutes or so on both sides in the microwave
rotator. I don't particularlly admire the taste of frozen meat in any
case. When I think pink I drink blush.

Michael \"Dog3\" Lonergan wrote;

Sounds like too much liquid when you go to finish off the meat.
Personally
I would never defrost or partially cook meat in the microwave but
that's
just me. You did not say what kind of meat you were using but you
mentioned
a saute' pan so I'm assuming the meat may be ground beef or
scallopini of
something. If you must defrost in the microwave at least do not
partially
cook it after the defrost. I don't know if this will help with the
froth
issue. Sounds like you may have gotten some ice crystals into the
package
with the meat from the freezer which defrosted and transferred to the
pan.
Michael

Not too much liquid, it's the quality of the liquid. I've often
brought decent cuts of beef from the store and sauteed them, half an
inch of liquid in a 10" pan from an over a pound steak is common.
PreCooking meat in the microwave doesn't develop the taste, a pan is
necessary, the microwave reduces the overall time. It was a round
steak, 'LondonBroil'.

Michael \"Dog3\" Lonergan wrote;

"I've defrosted meat in the microwave in a pinch and not had any
negative results from it. I've never partially cooked the meat
in a microwave. It's a personal preference with me. Thaw it in the
fridge and cook it on the stove "

I suppose that would be more 20th century.

jmcquown writes;

Most of the time I've run into this is with round steak which I've
cut into
cubes to brown before adding to soup and suddenly there's this froth.
It's
probably been water injected but I don't know. I do think the froth
comes
moisture interacting with oil in the pan to brown the meat. It
*could* be
the natural juices from the meat (I'm going to have to assume beef,
veal or
lamb, no way to tell from the original post) but who knows? At any
rate,
it's way too low heat in the pan to brown the meat. Jill

Again, turning up the heat to reduce frothing has never worked for me
with rice or pasta. It was round steak. Maybe the round you bought
had previously been frozen? I can't relate to 'way too low heat to
brown the meat', the meat browned nicely. I've found that very low
heat towards the end of the cooking cycle produces optimun results
generally.

I didn't notice several off topic posts. Jill seems to echo my
thoughts, the froth comes from the water and oil interaction at rapidly
changing temperatures. I'll have to try adding a little flour to the
pan when the froth starts. Anyway it was delicious.

Dale Benjamin
dalebenjamin