Minced beef - how to defrost in a microwave?!? I think people do this?

Question

I've always left frozen food overnight in the fridge until the next evening.

Is it really OK to use a microwave to defrost frozen meat, and then cook it in the same day?

I only have to add 500 g (just over 1 lb) of minced beef, to a chile con carne for three. We have lots of salads, tortillas, spices, crushed chilies, chopped peppers, kidney beans, &c, sour cream, cheese, sweetcorn &c. But we've all been working late, and there's no Carne! Except the frozen pack I had here ... So my recipe book says 15 minutes, stand time 5.

Wouldn't that radically overcook it? It says nothing about assumed wattage? I'm guessing that 800 watts is the norm.
The settings in the book go from Low, Medium, to High, and one paragraph says 800W=High. Mine is 850W - it's pretty old, I know! How do I adjust the timings to thaw it enough to start a meal from scratch, as if it was fresh meat?

Would like some quick & competent advice - have never defrosted raw meat in a microwave before?

Chelledog - for how long?

Seamus - Thanks! It never occurrred to me that 'defrost' was a setting! I honestly thought that to defrost by MW was to blast at max for X mins. Mine has a DF setting! It looks like 200 watts. I guess I'll risk that.
Appreciate the insight!

Seamus - my friend just arrived (damn, that's 4 to eat - but she brought avocados!) & we took it out of the MV & are sauteing and attacking it with a wooden blade to break it up in the frying pan. Thanks again! Four hungry people bless your advice. If we are alive tomorrow, I will post again. If we don't eat soon, we won't live anyway ; )

Answer 1

If you set it in cold water in the sink, you must make sure(1) you have a clean sink(2) the meat is covered tightly. The best way is to cook it straight from its frozen state, in a saute pan. The meat will defrost and cook! This is only fair for ground meats you want to keep ground and browned. If you are defrosting whole(not ground meats) the best is the fridge over a night or two, depending on how thick of a cut. As far as the microwave goes... set it to defrost or 50% power and cook for about 5 minutes per pound. Check and repeat for more time if needed. I've found that 2 of the same exact microwave ovens from the same company will cook DIFFERENTLY. Once you test your micro a couple of times, you'll get it!

Answer 2

no, set it in the sink in cold water and it will defrost