Microoenada y longaniza

December 25, 2013 1:09 PM

Can I nuke this sausage? I hope I can.

I bought this long link of longazina, a chorizo-like Mexican sausage, at the store yesterday. Problem: it's not pre-cooked, and the package implores you to fully cook it before consuming. Problem#2, we don't have a stove, and the various grills, toaster ovens, electric fry pans, etc are in use by my roommate who is making Xmas dinner, so I'd like to nuke this if it can be safely done. I understand that wouldn't be the ideal, tastiest way to cook it, but I'm not picky as long as it's safe and hot.

So can it be done? How long/what power/should I slice it up/I assume wrap it in paper towels/etc?

It looks like this, but just one link, not two:

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/27/43/18/0004274318013_500X500.jpg

posted by mreleganza to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

You can, but the ends will fully cook and start to shrivel up before the middle gets hot. (I know this from experience with hot dogs.) Your best bet is to cut it into roughly equal bite-sized pieces, arrange them in a circle around the outside of a plate, and cook like that.

I'm not sure how long I'd suggest you put it in, though; what quantity of sausage are you talking about? Maybe put it in for two or three minutes, but keep an eye on it to pull it out once it starts to sizzle or pop?
posted by Andrhia at 1:14 PM on December 25, 2013

Definately wrap in a couple paper towels, but also consider using a fork to pierce the skin a couple times, like you would when nuking a baked potato --- gotta let the pressure out so you don't end up with an *exploding* sausage!
posted by easily confused at 1:15 PM on December 25, 2013

I nuke raw sausage all the time. They turn out great. It's in principle like you're steaming them, I read somewhere. Two or three minutes is probably too much. You don't want it to shrivel and harden. I recommend trying, also, with less than full power. Like 6 instead of 10. It's more art than science, microwave cooking. I'd suggest cutting your links into several smaller pieces, so you can safely experiment a bit with settings and times. (In a microwave, bear in mind, time required to cook is proportional to size of item being cooked. The bigger it is, the longer it has to be nuked for the same effect.) You can always cook one for more time than you have, but you can't cook one less than you already have. Try starting with less than a minute. Slice to check for doneness, and cook a bit more if needed. You'll get the hang.

I don't pierce the skin and I've never had a sausage explode -- though I suppose it could happen; and I cook them on a microwavable-type plate, uncovered.
posted by bertran at 1:45 PM on December 25, 2013

Response by poster: Andrhia, it's an 8 ounce stick o' meat.
posted by mreleganza at 2:05 PM on December 25, 2013

Even if you wrap the sausage securely, the microwave will smell of it for days and will need a good cleaning out.

Put the sausage in an all-metal frying pan, cover it lightly with cheesecloth to prevent spattering, and take it over to a neighbor. Explain your predicament and ask to borrow the use of his/her oven for 20 minutes at 350. When it's done, give the neighbor a nice piece as a thank-you.
posted by KRS at 6:05 AM on December 26, 2013