Cooking Device and Method

Abstract

A method for cooking meat, the method comprising: placing the meat having exudate in a suitable vacuum sealed bag; vacuum sealing the bag; placing the bag on a rack; placing the rack in a cooking device; cooking the meat, which produces exudate; removing the rack from the cooking device and cooling the meat to a temperature which is safe for handling; and sealing the bag so as to segregate the meat from the cooked exudate, wherein the rack is adapted to support the meat in an upper section of the bag whilst allowing the exudate to fall into a lower section of the bag.

Claims

1. A method for cooking meat, the method comprising: (a) placing the meat in a bag adapted for vacuum sealing; (b) vacuum sealing the bag; (c) placing the bag on a rack configured to support the meat in an upper section of the bag whilst allowing the exudate to discharge into a lower section of the bag during cooking; (d) placing the rack in a cooking device; (e) cooking the meat, which produces the exudate; and (f) removing the rack from the cooking device and allowing the meat to cool to a temperature which is safe for handling.

2. A method for cooking meat as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of sealing the bag so as to segregate the meat from the exudate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cutting the bag to separate the meat from the exudate in sealed sections of the bag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooking device is a steam oven.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooking device is a water immersion boiler device.

6. A system for cooking meat, the system comprising: (a) a suitable vacuum sealed bag for holding meat; and (b) a rack adapted to be placed in a cooking device; wherein the rack is adapted to support the meat, but allow exudate to discharge from the meat into a lower section of the bag whilst in the cooking device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a device adapted to separate and seal the exudate from the meat.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein double seal is formed to seal the exudate from the meat, the double seal including two spaced apart seals.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device is further adapted to cut between the double seal so as to cut a section of the bag containing the exudate from a section of the bag containing the meat.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the rack has spaced apart supports, separated at an outer end to facilitate removal of the vacuum sealed bag from the rack after cooking in such a way so that the exudate does not contaminate an areas of the bag containing the meat.

11. An apparatus for use in a cooking device, the apparatus comprising a rack adapted for holding a vacuum sealed bag containing food to be cooked, wherein the rack is adapted to support the food, but allow waste product to discharge from the food into a lower section of the bag whilst in the cooking device.

12. A method for cooking meat, the method comprising: (a) placing the meat in a bag adapted for vacuum sealing, the bag configured to support the meat in an upper section of the bag whilst allowing the exudate to discharge into a lower section of the bag during cooking; (b) vacuum sealing the bag; (c) hanging the bag from a rack; (d) placing the rack in a cooking device; (e) cooking the meat, which produces the exudate; and (f) removing the rack from the cooking device and allowing the meat to cool to a temperature which is safe for handling.

13. A system for cooking meat, the system comprising: (a) a suitable vacuum sealed bag for holding meat; and (b) a rack adapted to be placed in a cooking device; wherein the bag is adapted to support the meat in an upper section, but allow exudate to discharge from the meat into a lower section of the bag whilst in the cooking device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0048] Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack which forms part of a system for cooking meat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a side view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a front view of the rack of FIG. 1.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of meat in a vacuum sealed bag which has been placed on the rack of FIG. 1.

[0053] FIG. 5 is perspective view of the rack of FIG. 1 holding many of the bags shown in FIG. 4.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rack of FIG. 5 in a steam cooking device.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a first perspective view of a device adapted to seal and separate the sections of the bag containing the meat and exudate shown in FIG. 4.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a second perspective view of the device of FIG. 7.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a side view of the device of FIG. 7.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows an alternative bag to the bag shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

[0059] FIG. 11 shows the alternative bag shown in FIG. 10 with hanging hooks and enclosing a pseudo product.

[0060] FIG. 12 shows the alternative bag shown in FIG. 11 hanging via hooks.

[0061] FIG. 13 shows a close up view of the pseudo product shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] FIGS. 1 to 6 show a rack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rack 10 is adapted for use in a cooking device, such as the steam cooker 11 shown in FIG. 6. The rack 10 comprises a frame 12 on wheels 14. The frame 12 has rods 16 which act as supports for a plastic bag 18 containing meat 20 and exudate 22. The upper section of the bag 18 containing the meat 20 sits on the rods 16. The rods 16 are spaced so that the exudate 22 can discharge from the meat 20 between the rods 16 into the lower section of the bag 18.

[0063] The bag 18 should be suitable for sous vide cooking. These types of bags are heat resistant and are adapted to have vacuum seal which is not affected by fats, moisture or particulates. Many bags 18 containing meat 20 are shown on the rack 10 in FIG. 5.

[0064] Once the meat 20 has been cooked in the steam cooker 11 (see FIG. 6), it is removed and allowed to cool until it is at a suitable temperature for handling. The bags 18 are then removed from the rack 10 and placed into a sealing device 24. The sealing device 24 has an aperture 26 for the bag 18. The aperture 26 is wide enough to allow the passage of the lower section of the bag 18 containing the exudate 22, but not wide enough to allow the passage of the meat 20 within the upper section of the bag 18. A heat press 28 within the sealing device 24 can be activated by a user by pressing a button 30 so as to seal the upper section of the bag 18 containing the meat 20 from the lower section of the bag 18 containing the exudate 22, thereby separating the meat 20 from the exudate 22.

[0065] The sealing device 24 further includes a blade (not shown) adapted to cut the upper section of the bag 18 containing the meat 20 from the lower section of the bag 18 containing the exudate 22. The lower section of the bag 18 drops into a bucket 32 placed within the sealing device 24. The upper section of the bag 18 can be slid out of the sealing device 24 via the exit channel 34. Thereby exudate 22 is separated from the meat 20 without opening the bag 18 to avoid the possibility of contaminating the meat. The exudate 22 is now packaged and ready for re-processing into a sellable co-product, namely meat stock.

[0066] Turning to FIGS. 10 to 13, these figures show an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] FIGS. 10 to 12, in particular, show an alterative bag 18 to that shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. Bag 18 includes apertures 40 each suitable for receiving a hook 42 (best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 for hanging the bag from a rack. The rack may be the same rack as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 or any alternative rack suitable for mounting bags 18 thereto.

[0068] Bag 18 further includes multiple sport welds 44 (best shown in FIG. 13). Spot welds 44 separate bag 18 into two sections, an upper section and a lower section. The upper section of the bag 18 contains meat 20 which sits on spot welds 44. Spot welds 44 are spaced so that exudate can discharge from meat 20 between the spot welds 44 into the lower section of the bag 18.

[0069] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word comprising and its derivatives including comprises and comprise include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

[0070] Reference throughout this specification to one embodiment or an embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases in one embodiment or in an embodiment in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

[0071] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.