Meat tenderizing system

This invention relates to food preparation; in particular this invention relates to an apparatus used to prepare meats and poultry; and more particularly this invention relates to an apparatus and method to tenderize meats and poultry products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to food preparation; in particular this invention 
relates to an apparatus used to prepare meats and poultry; and more 
particularly this invention relates to an apparatus and method to 
tenderize meats and poultry products. 
2. State of the Art 
People slaughter animals to produce meat and eat the meat. The meat may be 
tender or tough depending on the species of the animal slaughtered, its 
breed, its health, its feed, the amount of exercise it got, whether it was 
fed at a feed lot before slaughter, and a variety of other factors. People 
tend to prefer tender meat because it is easier to eat, easier to digest, 
and tends to be more flavorful. Consequently, a variety of methods have 
been developed over the years to tenderize meat and make it more palatable 
for human consumption. 
Pounding meat with hammers and the like are the most common means of 
tenderizing meat. Steaks, chops, and similar flat pieces of meat are 
prepared by striking them forcefully with a hammer or other blunt object. 
Meats prepared this way need to use a specific technique, or the meat may 
be unevenly tenderized. Meats prepared this way, as are shellfish (for 
example, abalone) and other types of fish and poultry are not only 
tenderized, but also thinned and sometimes the piece of meat is pierced or 
otherwise rendered less usable by pounding. 
Other methods of tenderizing meat include marinating, aging, and the like, 
but these methods all require extra time to be fully effective and can 
change the texture and flavor of the meat being treated. 
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus of tenderizing meats 
that is safer than a hammer, provides for a quick and efficient 
tenderization-of the meats such that it will not shred or otherwise harm 
the meat rendering it useless, and allows for a more sanitary way to 
tenderize meats. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention provides a method and apparatus to tenderize meat. The meat 
tenderizer includes a meat receiving platform and a meat tenderizing 
roller. 
A first aspect of this invention provides an apparatus for tenderizing meat 
comprising: 
a meat receiving platform having means to secure the meat against lateral 
movement and means to retain liquids; and 
a meat tenderizing hand roller having a roller member and a shaft member, 
the meat tenderizing roller member having a plurality of extensions for 
contacting the meat, and the shaft member having means to allow the user 
of the apparatus to manipulate the roller. 
A second aspect of this invention provides for: 
a roller member having a hollow body defining an aperture; the roller 
member having a plurality of extensions extending outwardly from the 
roller member; 
a shaft member having a first side and a second side; the shaft member 
slidably engaged in the hollow body; and 
a support means located substantially between the first side and the second 
side of the shaft member. 
In another aspect, this invention provides a method for tenderizing meat 
comprising: 
securing a first side of a piece of meat on a meat receiving platfomr in 
such a manner to allow the second side of the piece of meat to lay flat to 
be contacted, said meat receiving platform having means to secure the 
piece of meat and means to retain liquids; 
contacting the second side of the secured piece of meat with a rolling 
device having a plurality of meat tenderizing protrusions, 
removing the rolling device from the meat; and 
removing the meat from the meat receiving platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, a meat tenderizing apparatus 10 has two primary 
subassemblies. The first subassembly is a meat receiving platform 12. In a 
first embodiment, the meat receiving platform is a flat surface that can 
be positioned for easy use by a user, typically by placing the surface on 
a horizontal surface such a table top or a counter top. The meat receiving 
platform has means to secure a piece of meat 14 (shown here in phantom) 
against lateral movement once the meat to be processed is laid on the 
surface of the meat receiving platform. One preferred means of securing 
the meat on the meat receiving platform is placing the meat on a plurality 
of extensions 1 or protrusions formed in the top surface of the meat 
receiving platform to contact the piece of meat laid thereon. 
In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the meat receiving platform may 
also have a reservoir 40 to hold the meat and marinating juices. This will 
facilitate quick marination of the meat all the while providing for a 
sanitary way to tenderize meats by preventing the juices from leaking onto 
the kitchen counter or floor. Furthermore, a user can place the meat 
receiving platform in the refrigerator with both the meat and marinating 
juices to further enhance the taste of the meat. Additionally, the 
reservoir may also have a spout 42 to facilitate the quick and easy 
cleaning of the meat receiving platform. 
The piece of meat 14 may be the typical meats such as a steak or chop, but 
may also be other pieces of meat such as seafood. The meat will have a 
first side and a second side. For convenience in the following discussion, 
the first side will hereinafter be defined as the side of the piece of 
meat contacting the protrusions on the meat tenderizing platform. The 
second side will be the side that the roller contacts. Only if the piece 
of meat is turned over to present the first side to the roller, which is 
in fact the preferred method of operation, but not a required method of 
operation, will the first side be independently tenderized. While it is 
not impossible to tenderize chunks of meat, such as roasts or, for 
example, a butterflied leg of lamb, using the meat tenderizing platform 
and roller of this invention, the meat will be substantially flatter after 
the application of this invention then it was at the start of the process. 
In the example of the butterflied leg of lamb, the resulting piece of post 
process meat might be nearly as flat as a steak or chop, and may be cooked 
in a way compatible with a steak. 
The receiving platform 12 may be made from any selection of conventional 
materials including plastic, wood, metal and the like. All that the 
material of the receiving platform must do is present a flat surface that 
has some degree of resistance to warpage and has enough toughness to 
withstand the pressure that may be brought to bear when the meat is 
tenderized in the operation of the process of this invention. The most 
preferred material to make the platform from is any plastic or organic 
polymeric composition that presents a hard surface for the operation of 
the process of this invention. Hard surface plastic is particularly 
preferred because it is easy to clean after the tenderizing operation and 
prevents dulling of knives that may be used to trim or otherwise process 
the meat further in conjunction with the tenderizing process. 
The extensions 1, protrusions, or upwardly extending members will 
preferably be between about one eighth inch and one half inch in length, 
more preferably they will be between about one eighth inch and one quarter 
inch in length. The length of these members is chosen primarily by 
balancing the competing demands of wanting a perfectly flat surface and 
wanting large sharp extensions that firmly and positively engage the meat 
on the receiving platform. 
The second subassembly is the meat tenderizing roller 16. The roller has a 
plurality of protrusions or extensions 18 extending therefrom. The 
protrusions are preferably about twice to five times the height of the 
protrusions on the meat receiving platform. The purpose of these 
extensions are not to merely engage the meat, but instead to essentially 
`poke` the meat, tenderizing it by extreme application of localized force. 
They are longer than the extensions on the platform because the `poking` 
process is preferably felt through the entire thickness of the meat. 
Preferably, the length of the extensions are between about one half inch 
and about two inches in length; more preferably they are between about one 
inch and one and one half inches in length. It is preferred that all the 
extensions be about the same length so that the user can easily contact 
all the extensions with the piece of meat as he passes the roller over the 
meat. 
In a preferred embodiment, the roller 16 has handles 20 mounted on the ends 
to allow facile grasping of the ends of the roller member by the butcher 
or chef. The user, the butcher or chef, grabs one end of the roller in 
each hand and bears the roller down on the secured piece of meat by 
leaning forward and downwardly. In this preferred type of embodiment, the 
roller has two primary elements, a rolling member that has the protrusions 
on its surface and the non-rotating axle or shaft member passing through a 
middle aperture defined by the rolling member. The handles are constructed 
with hilts contacting the roller member to preserve the relative locations 
of the roller member and the non-rotating axle member. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, the roller member 22 of the roller has a hollow 
body member defining an aperture 24. The outer surface of the roller has a 
plurality of extension members 18 arrayed on its surface. The extension 
members are all of uniform height and are equally spaced. Any equally 
spaced protrusions are acceptable. The primary consideration for the 
pattern of the protrusions is that the roller roll smoothly and freely 
over the piece of meat. The meat processed by contacting the roller then 
has a uniform pattern of tenderizing contact points made by the roller. 
The roller preferably passes over the meat several times until the meat is 
throughly tenderized and is then flipped over so that the other side of 
the meat can be contacted by the roller. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, the roller member is mounted on a shaft member 26 
that passes through an aperture 24 defined in the roller member 22. The 
shaft member has a first handle 28 mounted on a first end of the handle 
member and a second, preferably removable, handle 30 mounted on the second 
end 32 of the shaft member 26. (The second handle is shown in the removed 
mode in the Fig.) Of course, if preferred, both the first handle and the 
second handle could both be removable from the shaft for ease of cleaning 
or for ease of manufacture of the roller. The shaft is preferably made 
from high impact plastic, although the shaft may be made from other 
materials for example, metal, including aluminum, iron or stainless steel, 
or similar materials. The shaft member or non-rotating axle 26 may have 
support members 27 located between the first side and the second side as 
in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The support members 27 strengthen the 
non-rotating axle 26 and support the hollow body of the roller member 22 
of the hand roller 16. The most important property for the shaft to have 
is that it not break or deform under fairly substantial pressure that 
might be placed on it as the meat is tenderized. In the actual operation 
of this invention, it may be found that certain operations, for example 
those in commercial kitchens and the like, require the use of heavier duty 
materials than the materials that might suffice for home use. 
This invention also provides a method for tenderizing meat. First, the meat 
is secured on the meat receiving platform by placing it thereon. As noted 
above, in the preferred embodiment, the extensions from the platform 
contact the meat and prevent movement of the meat. Moreover, in another 
preferred embodiment, the meat may be placed in a reservoir which is able 
to contain both the meat and marinating juices to facilitate the 
tenderizing of the meat. 
The user, usually a butcher, chef or homemaker, passes the meat roller over 
the secured meat. Preferably, it is rolled over at least once, and more 
preferably it is rolled over the meat enough times to completely tenderize 
the meat. The user may use considerable force to increase the pressure of 
the points of the roller on the meat. The force may be varied because of 
the thickness of the piece of meat or because of the toughness of the 
piece of meat. The desired use of the meat, which may dictate a thicker or 
a thinner piece of meat for the final use, may also dictate forcing the 
roller with more or less pressure. The piece of meat may be flipped over 
and replaced on the receiving platform and the process repeated to allow 
tenderizing of the opposite side of the meat as well. The same 
considerations about the force administered to the first processed piece 
of meat (the second side as defined herein) and so forth all apply to the 
second side operated one (the first side as defined herein). Finally, the 
roller is removed from the meat by the user, and the piece of meat is 
removed from the platform. 
Only if the piece of meat is turned over to present the first side to the 
roller, which is in fact the preferred method of operation, but not the 
required method of operation, will the first side be independently 
tenderized. It is possible for the user to tenderize chunks of meat, for 
example roasts or, as another example, a butterflied leg of lamb, using 
the meat tenderizing platform and roller of this invention. Such a chunk 
of meat may be flatter after the application of this invention than it was 
at the start of the process. 
In a preferred embodiment, the shaft has handles mounted on the ends to 
allow facile grasping of the ends of the roller member by the butcher or 
chef. The user, the butcher or chef, grabs one end of the roller in each 
hand and bears the roller down on the secured piece of meat by leaning 
forwardly and downwardly. The meat may be processed for a long time or for 
a short time based on the best judgement of the user. Parts of the piece 
of meat may require more processing than others, and the user again must 
judge what he or she thinks is best for the particular piece of meat. 
Applicant described this invention by reference to specific embodiments and 
examples of the invention. Those skilled in the art can readily modify, 
vary, or alter the invention so described and exemplified without 
violating the spirit and intent of the invention. Consequently, the 
appended claims encompass all such variations, modifications, and 
alterations of the invention.