A METHOD FOR SLICING OF BACON

Abstract: A method for slicing of bacon and the like wherein the slicing is carried out in a direction at least essentially across the predominating grain direction. The cuts (17) are carried out under a cutting angle (v) in relation to the general plane of the bacon piece ("the rind surface" 11) which is preferably about 20-45<o> so that wide slices (18) are achieved which hold well together.

Description: A method for slicing of bacon The present invention relates to a method for slicing of bacon, i.e. more or less hard smoked pork, and the like. Slicing of bacon has hitherto, as far as known, s \ unexeptionally been carried out perpendicularly to the general plane of the normally rather thin and flat bacon piece, i.e. perpendicularly to the rind side, and per¬ pendicularly to the main dominating pork grain direction within the bacon piece. Thereby, each slice of bacon gets a width of just a few centimetres, a thickness of one or ' a few millimetres and the normal length of the order of about 20 centimetres. Such bacon slices are extremely difficult to handle in all steps, i.e. both during slicing and packing and during preparation to be consumed. Slices of bacon that have been cut in the conventional way are very fragile and tend easily to fall into pieces. On mechanical slicing and packing such falling into pieces of the bacon slices often results in that the slices are disordered on conveyor bands and packing tables, which, of course, disturbes the handling. When the bacon slices are withdrawn from the package, normally a so called vacuum pack, it will often be found that the slices, tend to be torn into pieces rather than to separate from each other. Therefore, in a frying pan, one often gets elongated bands consisting of two or more slice portions that adhere to each other, which bands of double or threefold "slicethickness" demand a longer frying time than the whole, ordinary bacon slices, which makes the preparation more difficult and gives an esthetically less satisfying result. The present invention has aimed at providing a method for the slicing of bacon by which the just recited handling A difficulties are avoided at the same time as advantages with respect to the appearance are achieved. To the just mentioned end it is proposed according to the present invention that the slicing of bacon and the like should be carried out so as is defined in principle in the characterizing clause of claim 1. The invention will be disclosed in more details below with reference to the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piece of bacon; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a conventional slice of bacon; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a slice of bacon which has been cut in accordance with the present invention. Figure 1 illustrates very diagrammatically a piece of bacon 10 having an outer surface or rind surface 11 and an inner surface 12. The bacon piece 10 comprises leaner, fleshier portions 13 and fatter layers 14. The main dominating grain direction of the leaner portions 13 has been denoted be means of the double arrow F. Normally the piece of bacon would be sliced per¬ pendicularly to the rind surface 11 and perpendicularly to the main predominating grain direction F, so as is indicated by the dashed cut lines 15 in fig. 1. One would then get bacon slices of a conventional type, i.e. having an appearance as the slice 16 shown in fig. 2. Instead, according to the invention, the bacon piece 10 is sliced under a cutting angle v in relation to the rind surface, which is different from 90 , and which angle may be as small as about 5-10 and as big as about 70-80°, but which is perferably within the range about 20-45°. The cuts having this cutting angle v, which is different from 90 , have in fig. 1 been indicated by the tiny cut lines 17, which gives bacon slices 18 of the appearance as shown in fig. 3. These slices 18 are considerably wider than the slices 16 in fig. 2, and hold together much better, probably at least partially due to the increased grain length of each individual portion. It should be mentioned that the above discussed advantages are achieved without any noticeable increase of the "toughness" of the bacon slices in prepared condition, which circumstance may be attributable to the fact that the bacon 'slices exhibit a rather "amorphous" structure.

Claims: Claims 1. A method for slicing of bacon and the like, wherein the slicing is carried out in a direction at least essentially across the main predominating grain direction of the bacon piece characterized in that the cuts (17) are carried out under an angle (v) in relation to the general plane of the bacon piece ("the rind surface" 11) which is different from 90°. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cuts are carried out under a cutting angle (v) of from 5-10° to about 78-80° and preferably abou ' 20-45° in relation to the general plane of the bacon piece.

Inventors: HELMVEE ULO, HELMVEE, ULO
Applicants: HELMVEE ULO, HELMVEE, ULO
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A22C17
IPC codes: A22C17, B26D3