Specialty Cookware for Meat and Potatoes
Specialty cookware--who needs it? Far beyond ordinary pots and pans, there exist some creative cooking vessels designed for specific needs. Blessed are those fortunate individuals who have extra shelf space to accommodate these utensils as they just might find them to be of wonderful service on certain occasions.
Or possibly daily use, as in the case of the Potato Devil, otherwise known as Kartoffel Teufel in West Germany. If you’re a baked potato fan and realize that boiling this nutritious tuber in salty water can destroy its nutrient values, check into this clay cookware ($34.99) that cooks potatoes on top of the stove without any water. For others, the fond attachment for baked potatoes may come simply just from taste appeal. The Potato Devil browns and cooks potatoes with a kind of roasted “campfire” flavor. Manufactured by Kartoffelteufel International Ltd. in West Germany and imported by Swiss Mar Imports Ltd., the ivory or sand colored cookware features two “twin” flat-bottomed but round-sided clay pots with handles that can accommodate up to three pounds of potatoes. It works this way: Fill one pot (it must be very dry) with floury potatoes (take advantage of Russets, which are in abundance right now) and cover with the other pot. Place on an electric or gas stove, putting the provided asbestos mat between the heat source and pot. Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes then turn pot over and cook another half an hour without opening, to seal in the heat.
Doesn’t Save Fuel
This method doesn’t save time, or fuel either; however, it produces charred patches on the potatoes that give them the aroma and taste of being baked in the ashes of an open fire. And don’t worry about keeping the pot pristine looking upon repeated use. A dark coating will form right away on the inside of the Potato Devil, which actually helps to impart that special taste. The manufacturer also advises against the use of detergents or abrasives. To prevent cracking, the pot should be allowed to cool before washing.
The microwave oven has been a godsend appliance since its introduction and now most people can’t live without it even just for daily reheating, defrosting or boiling water for coffee or tea. General Housewares Corp., a major cookware manufacturer, found a niche for microwave-related cookware that goes a step above the common usage of this heating unit. Nic Bruns, product manager at General Housewares in Indiana, said, “We did a lot of research on what consumers use the microwave for. We felt that they didn’t use it to cook real food. They were not getting their money’s worth.”
That triggered the development of the Magnawave Perfection Microwave Roaster ($39.99). “There was a great need for a roaster,” Bruns added, “for busy people to be able to cook a roast in half an hour, or at least half the time it takes in a regular oven.” Oval in shape and deep, the almond colored microwave roaster is made of lightweight ceramic on steel. It includes an oval metal rack designed with large holes and a smoked glass dome lid. The product, which has a lifetime limited warranty, can also be used on top of the stove as well as in the conventional oven.
Although a little steam is important in roasting for juiciness, it becomes an enemy in achieving browning and crisping. This is the reason why up until now, roasting has been tabooed in the microwave, which functions more like a steam cooker.
The Magnawave roaster will cook and brown pork, lamb and beef roasts, meat loaf, ham, chicken or duck. The meat is placed on the aluminum rack and covered with a tempered glass lid. This dome lid doesn’t seal the edges of the pan completely, effecting a vent that lets steam formed above the metal rack escape during cooking. For more even cooking, the meat should be turned halfway during cooking. As the meat is cooked, the juices drain below the rack and are trapped in an area surrounded by metal in which they cannot be boiled and/or create steam.
Precaution Against Salmonella
Because the juices do not reach a boiling point, the manufacturer recommends that these juices should not touch the meat and should either be discarded or boiled separately for gravy after the meat is removed. Another precaution that guards against salmonella bacteria when roasting fowl is to avoid covering the large holes around the rack edge with the chicken. These holes were designed to allow microwave energy into the lower cavity in order to pasteurize the juices at a temperature of 140 degrees for four minutes.
One of the biggest concerns with this product breakthrough is the use of metal in the rack. Bruns explained that as long as the microwave unit is in perfect working condition, the magnetrons in the microwave ovens cannot be damaged by the use of the metal. Also, before using the roaster it is of utmost importance to read the instruction booklet carefully. One of the most significant precautions is not to cook food loads that weigh under two pounds, nor do they recommend cooking flat foods such as steak or flattened chicken parts, regardless of weight.
In terms of doneness, Bruns said, “Treat the recipe like you would cooking in a normal oven, cooking longer when necessary. The higher the wattage of the oven, the better the results” For guidelines, a convenient roasting chart is included in the booklet.
The Potato Devil is available at Cookin Stuff (Palos Verdes and La Habra), Kitchen Kitchen (Rancho Mirage) and The Yellow Door (Rolling Hills).
The Magnawave Perfection Microwave Roaster is available at Robinson’s, May Company, K mart and Fedco.