Importance

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Abstract

A microwave cooking utensil useful for assuring destruction of Salmonella or other harmful bacteria present in cooking liquids during the cooking of poultry including an outer container made of microwave reflective material, a microwave transmissive steam-confining cover enclosing the outer container, and an apertured rack for supporting, essentially in contact thereon, a food product. The rack is made of heat-conductive, microwave-reflective material and includes a support to hold the rack above the bottom surface of the container so that the rack and the bottom surface define a chamber to receive cooking liquids. The rack has a first set of apertures proximate to its periphery large enough, and with a total area large enough, to permit passage therethrough, during the normal poultry cooking cycle, of sufficient microwave energy to pasteurize any Salmonella bacteria present in the cooking liquids. The total area of the first set of apertures should be small enough, however, so that total microwave energy passing through them will not prevent condensation of steam in the chamber. The rack has an optional second set of apertures therein large enough to permit the passage of the cooking liquids and small enough to be substantially impermeable to microwave energy, so that cooking liquids are quickly removed from the vicinity of the food being cooked.

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First Claim