Do not partially cook meat in a microwave oven or oven and then refrigerate for cooking or grilling later. That is not safe. Bacteria will not be destroyed during the first partial cooking or the second. To spend less time cooking, use smaller and thinner cuts of meat.

• Flatten chicken breasts to about ½-inch thickness by placing the chicken between two layers of plastic wrap or in a zip-top plastic bag with the marinade of choice. Then use a rolling pin or meat pounder to flatten.
• Make smaller and thinner burger patties, and put them on smaller “slider” buns.

Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Featured in Food Wi$e June 2017 newsletter (PDF)