Sausages are a popular meat that is eaten widely throughout the world and is used in a range of different dishes as well as just being cooked by themselves on a barbecue. However, if you do not have a barbecue available or you are somewhere where the only cooking appliance is a microwave, can you actually cook sausages in it?
Sausage irrespective of the type can be successfully cooked in a microwave in a matter of a few minutes provided that you prick the sausages to ensure that they do not burst when heated with the microwave. If sausages are not pricked the entire side of them can split open.
However, the downside of cooking sausages in a microwave is that they do not char and brown on the outside which affects the flavor somewhat. Additionally, the lack of oil in the cooking process in a microwave also affects the flavor to some degree but on the upside cooking sausages, this way is significantly healthier.
Do You Need To Defrost Sausages Before Cooking Them In The Microwave?
One of the other common questions that are asked to do you need to defrost the sausages gently in the microwave or on the bench before you actually cook them. The answer to this is not it is not necessary to defrost the sausages before they are put on full heat to cook them. However, the length of time that it takes for the sausages to cook will increase because you require additional energy to get them up to the full temperature.
In most microwave ovens this will typically mean that you have to cook the sausages for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to ensure that they are cooked and heated through properly.
Is It Safe To Cook Sausages When They Are Still In The Packaging?
When you purchase sausages from the local grocery store they are often sold in trays which are usually made of plastic or in some countries they can be even made of polystyrene with cling wrap placed over the top of them. This packaging is made from a range of different plastics which can be microwave safe but not always.
Due to the degree of uncertainty associated with the variations in plastics we generally recommend that you do not leave the sausages in the packaging when microwaving them to ensure that no potential chemicals leach out of the and negatively affect the flavor of the sausages or contaminate them with toxic chemicals.
Why Does The Sausage Casing Peel Off The Sausages When They Are Microwaved?
When cooking sausages in the microwave you often notice that the sausage casing will peel off the sausages when they are microwaves which is something that does not typically happen when you cook them conventionally on a barbeque.
The main reason that this occurs is that microwaved sausages heat extremely rapidly from the inside rather than being heated from the outside. When this happens there is a rapid buildup of steam which causes the casing to peel off the sausages relatively easily even when the sausages have been pricked prior to cooking.
The reason it still happens is that the stream builds up in small sections between where you have pricked the sausages and is able to expand rapidly causing the sausage casing to split and then peel off the sausages.
To reduce the degree to which this happens it is best to defrost the sausages first and set the microwave to a relatively low setting to warm the sausages up more slowly which will slow down the speed at which steam is formed within the sausage and reduce the chances of the casing splitting.
If the casing is coming off the sausage is quite ok to peel the remainder off as it will not affect the flavor or shape of the sausage at this stage because it is already cooked.
Is It Safe To Reheat Sausages That Have Been Cooked On A BBQ?
If you are reheating sausages that have already been cooked on a barbequed you will find that it is quite safe to reheat them in the microwave and they will still retain much of the flavor that you get from grilling sausages.
How To Cook Sausages In A Microwave
To cook sausages in the microwave is relatively easy and quick. Start by taking the sausages that you would like to cook and place them on a plate and pierce the sausages with a knife. To avoid the fats spitting and making the microwave dirty it is best to wrap the sausages in a paper towel.
The paper towels will allow airflow around the sausages which will help with the heat distribution as microwaves do not always heat evenly. To start the cooking process we suggest setting a microwave too high for one minute and recheck your sausages to ensure that they are not getting too hot too quickly. Repeat this activity until such time as the sausages are fully cooked which typically takes 3 minutes in most cases.
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