Waxed papers should also not be used as the wax can melt onto your food. As I always say use the right tool for the right job and in this case it may save you and your microwave. The microwave is the safest and most expedient way to defrost meat. By using the microwave you virtually eliminate the risk of food poisoning caused bacterial growth that can happen when you leave meat to thaw on the counter . Defrosting meat in the microwave can be tricky and no one likes to end up with half cooked, half frozen meat.
Most microwaves built today have special defrosting settings.
Read your owners manual and do some testing to avoid problems. A good guideline for most microwaves is 10 minutes per pound on the defrost setting. The food must be turned, rearranged and pulled apart at regular intervals so don't forget to check on it. Place chocolate chips, baking chocolate that has been broken into squares or block chocolate that has been chopped, into a microwave safe dish. I usually use my glass measuring cup as it is microwave safe and convenient for measuring and pouring.