PROCESS FOR PROCESSING MEAT PRODUCT INTO COOKED, SLICED FORM

Abstract

A process for processing protein product involves providing a meat product in a raw state, searing at least one outside surface of the meat product so that the meat product, save for the at least one outside surface, remains in the raw state, slicing the meat product into a plurality of slices, vacuum sealing a stack of the slices within a pouch with the slices of the stack directly stacked together, and cooking the vacuum sealed slices of the stack stacked together such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the stacked slices remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the stack prior to the slicing, and such that the slices do not coagulate together as a result of the vacuum sealing and cooking.

Claims

1. A process for processing meat product, comprising the steps of: A. providing a meat product in a raw state; B. after step A., searing at least one outside surface of the meat product so that the meat product, save for the at least one outside surface, remains in the raw state; C. after step B., slicing the meat product into a plurality of meat slices that are 1.0-9.0 mm thick, in a thickness direction perpendicular to cut faces of the plurality of meat slices, while the meat product, save for the at least one outside surface, remains in the raw state; D. after step C., vacuum sealing a stack of the meat slices within a pouch with the meat slices of the stack stacked together in direct meat-to-meat contact while the meat product is in the raw state or is in the raw state save for a seared at least one outside surface, such that, after the vacuum sealing, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain a size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have a size and entire outer surface shape of an entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing; and E. after step D., cooking the vacuum sealed meat slices of the stack stacked together with every meat slice of the stack in direct meat-to-meat contact with its adjacent meat slice or slices of the stack while still vacuum sealed in the pouch such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing, and such that the slices do not coagulate together as a result of the vacuum sealing and cooking.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0011] FIG. 1 is a flow chart describing a conventional process for processing meat product.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a flow chart describing a new process for processing and packaging meat product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In the process described below, a piece of meat product is sliced while in a raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F., and only one cooking step, i.e., which substantially raises the core temperature, is performed, in contrast to prior art processes in which the product is sliced only after being cooked, i.e., to substantially raise its core temperature, and then requires subsequent pasteurization. Moreover, a sous-vide cooking process is employed to cook the sliced product in a vacuum sealed pouch.

[0014] The flow chart of FIG. 2 depicts steps involved in the process. In a first step S200, a piece of meat product 20 that is in a raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F. is provided. The meat product is a whole muscle or an undivided part of a whole muscle. Next, in step S210, the product is seared on one or more of its outside surfaces while remaining in the raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F. The searing step will provide some texture such as grill marks, and is critical to the process, as discussed in detail below.

[0015] At this point, the product has not been pasteurized, i.e., is unpasteurized and, regardless of whether it has had one or more outside surfaces seared or not, is otherwise in a raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F. The piece of product is next cut, in a slicing machine, into slices 22, 1.0-9.0 mm thick in a thickness direction perpendicular to cut faces of the plurality of meat slices, while the meat product remains in the raw state or otherwise raw state having the core temperature of 32-34° F., in step S220.

[0016] A stack of the meat slices, which can be some or all of the meat slices and are therefore meat slices from a whole muscle or a portion of a whole muscle, is then vacuum sealed in a pouch 24 in step S230 with the meat slices of the stack stacked together in direct meat-to-meat contact while the meat product remains in the raw or otherwise raw state having the core temperature of 32-34° F., such that, after the vacuum sealing, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain a size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have a size and entire outer surface shape of an entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing. In other words, after vacuum sealing, the stack will appear as the whole muscle or the portion of the whole muscle, or a sub-portion of the whole muscle or of the portion of the whole muscle.

[0017] Next, the vacuum sealed stack of meat slices in the pouch are cooked in step S240, while vacuum sealed in the pouch, to at least a pasteurization temperature of the product with every meat slice of the stack in direct meat-to-meat contact with its adjacent meat slice or slices of the stack such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing. During steps S230 and S240, the slices are maintained in a tightly stacked face-to-face relationship. That is, the cut faces of the slices continue to contact one another to to continue to essentially maintain the shape of the original piece of product forming the stack.

[0018] Step S240 of cooking the meat product in a vacuum sealed pouch is a sous-vide process. In this sous-vide process, cooking is preferably performed in a heated water bath 26 heated to at least the pasteurization temperature of the product, although other ways of heating the sealed product could be used.

[0019] In this sous-vide process, the product is cooked while in a sealed pouch, which allows the cellular structure of the product to remain intact. Natural moisture and juices are retained, which improves taste, retains nutritional content, and minimizes shrinkage. Additionally, the product is more fully pasteurized when the pasteurization takes place during this sous-vide process than in a prior art pasteurization process.

[0020] It has been found by the inventor that this process results in the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to be maintained because the outside surfaces have been seared prior to slicing, vacuum packing, and cooking, without the slices coagulating together, so that they remain easily separable. In particular, it has been found that the searing step causes the product to better maintain its form through the slicing, vacuum packing, and cooking steps such that the slices do not coagulate. Attempts to perform this process without the searing step have resulted in the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to no longer match that of the whole muscle or undivided part of the whole muscle corresponding to the initial product, and to coagulate together, so that they are not easily separable.

[0021] Following the cooking in step S240, the product can be refrigerated or frozen, while in the pouch 24, in step S250. The refrigerated or frozen product can then be shipped.

[0022] It will be appreciated that the above-described sous-vide process involves only a single cooking step for providing a pre-cooked, sliced meat product, thereby reducing cost and energy as compared to the prior art process of FIG. 1.

[0023] Although only a preferred embodiment has been described herein, it will also be appreciated that numerous changes substitutions, variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art, which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.