RECONSTITUTED MEAT PRODUCT

Abstract: A reconstituted, steak-like meat product is produced by cutting meat into pieces, subjecting the meat pieces to a tenderising step such as by passing the meat pieces between toothed rollers and agglomerating the meat pieces together under a compressive force. The compressed meat mass is frozen and then sliced to form coherent steak-like meat products which may be made of substantially uniform size, weight and consistency.

Description: RECONSTITUTED MEAT PRODUCT TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a reconstituted meat product and more particularly to a reconstituted steak-like product. BACKGROUND ART The meat derived from livestock such as bovine cattle, sheep / pigs and the like varies considerably in both size and consistency as between the various muscle masses in any given animal. The meat will also vary considerably as between different animals of the same species. These variations make it difficult for the meat trade to offer to the public an essentially consistent product or for those selling processed or cooked meat products to offer a standarised, portion controlled, product. The present invention is directed to a reconstituted meat product which at least in part overcomes the shortcomings of the naturally occurring meat. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention consists in a process for forming a reconstituted meat product, comprising cutting or breaking a muscle mass of an animal, into a plurality of pieces, subject those pieces to a tenderising operation, agglomerating the pieces together, and subject the agglomerate of pieces to a compressive force. The present invention further consists in a reconstituted meat product produced by the process according to • this invention. The meat used in the product and process according to this invention is preferably meat from the primal muscle masses of the animal and is substantially free of sinews. The meat is preferably cut across the grain into slices of a thickness of from 2 to 10 cm, preferably 5 to 8 cm. The meat may alternatively be cut into large lumps, say of the order of 1kg in weight, and passed through a mincer having very large holes in the mincer plate, say no smaller than - 2 - 3cm diameter, to produce pieces of meat which may have a weight of the order of from 50 to lOOg. This mincing step which results in the tearing apart of the meat into largish pieces may itself serve as the tenderising step in the present process. These slices or pieces are then subjected to a tenderising process which results in a partial breakage of the muscle fibres in the meat. Preferably this tenderising step comprises passing the slices of meat between toothed rollers, most preferably the meat slices are passed between toothed rollers twice being fed between the rollers the second time at right angles to the direction of the first feeding. This tenderising process results in a bidirectional array of cuts in the meat. While the tenderising process preferably comprises the making of an array of cuts in the meat at right angles to the plane of the slice other tenderising processes could be used. Hammering of the meat with a toothed hammer might also be used for instance. These tenderising processes as well as cutting into the"meat may also flatten or compress it and may have a smearing action of the meat fibres. The tenderised pieces of meat are then stacked upon one another or otherwise brought together in an agglomerate and subjected to a compressive force. In one embodiment of the invention a stack of meat slices is wrapped in a plastic film under high tension. The plastic film is preferably wound around the meat mass a number of times, the tension being increased as the wrapping proceeds. It has been found that the shape of the meat mass can to some extent be controlled during this wrapping process. It is thus possible to produce a wrapped mass of a defined weight in a defined shape. Such a product can then be severed into portions of a highly consistent weight, shape, thickness and texture. More preferably the meat pieces are fed under pressure into an enclosed container and retained in the container under an applied pressure until frozen. In this case also the resultant product is found to be coherent and of a substantially uniform weight, size and texture. When sliced to form the steak-like pieces of meat the processed meat product may be cooked directly from a frozen state or may be thawed and cooked. The compression of the meat mass could be brought about in other ways such as in a press. It would also be possible to use a wrapping technique utilising a material other than plastic film. It should be noted that it is preferred that meat juices be retained in the meat during the tenderising and compression stages as far as possible. It is desirable that the meat mass so formed is chilled or frozen while in a compressed condition. The meat mass may then be released from the compressive force and sliced, preferably transversely to the "grain" induced by the stacking of the slices. It has been found that the meat product resulting from this process is coherent and the separate slices of tenderised meat appear to "weld" together. Meat slices made according to the process of this invention have been found to be capable of being barbecued or otherwise cooked without disintegrating, crumbling, or otherwise showing their reconstituted natures. The process according to the invention allows a wide range of muscle masses to be used together to form a meat product equivalent to the better cuts of meat. The generally tougher, poorer quality, cuts may thus be increased in value by the present process. It will also be realised that flavour enhancement may be achieved by mixing together slices of meat from different parts of the animal or indeed from different species of animals. If desired a piece of fat may be wrapped around the - 4 - outside of at least part of the agglomerate of meat pieces prior to its compression. This fat gives to the resulting meat product a natural appearance. The adhesion of the fat to the processed meat product is improved if the fat is cut with a thin layer of meat attached to it. This meat layer is placed in contact with the meat pieces prior to the compression of the meat pieces. If desired minced or otherwise comminuted meat may be introduced between the slices of meat prior to the application of the compressive force. In this way sinewed meat which has been finely broken up to destroy its sinewed texture may be incorporated in the reconstituted product. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter given by way of example only is a preferred example of the process according to the present invention. Primal muscle fat from a sheep such as the leg or shoulder is boned and defatted. The lean meat is cut into large pieces of about 1kg weight which are passed through a mincing machine carrying a "kidney plate" having three large holes each approximately 3cm diameter. The resultant pieces of meat are sizeable pieces rather than a finely comminuted mince. The pieces are however rather torn or squashed and tend to have a rough outside surface which assists the adhesion of the pieces together at a later stage in the present process. The pieces of meat are fed between a first pair of closely spaced apart parallel tenderising rollers, each of which has a plurality of short blades extending radially from its surface, and then between a second such pair of tenderising rollers with their axes at right angles to those of the first pair. The blades on the tenderising rollers cut into meat pieces severing the fibres therein and thereby tenderising the meat without further reducing the size of the meat pieces. The tenderised meat pieces are then forced under pressure into a cylindrical container 14cm in diameter and 50cm long. The container was closed with a cap at one end prior to filling. After filling a circular plate, which just fitted within the circumference of the container, was placed on the meat pieces and compressed into the container. A spring was then placed on the plate and a lid applied to the open end of the container which compressed the spring slightly and thereby maintained pressure on the meat pieces therein. The meat in the container was frozen and after freezing was removed from the container, sliced, and packaged still in a frozen condition. The sliced meat product was found to be coherent when frozen and also when thawed and cooked. There was no tendency for the meat product to break up into its component parts on cooking.

Claims: CLAIMS : - 1. A process for forming a reconstituted meat product, comprising cutting or breaking a muscle mass of an animal into a plurality of pieces, subject those pieces to a tenderising operation, agglomerating the pieces together, and subject the agglomerate of pieces to a compressive force. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the muscle mass is a primal muscle mass of an animal substantially free of sinews. 3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the muscle mass is broken into pieces by being passed through a mincer having a mincing plate carrying holes of a size no smaller than 3cm in diameter. 4. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the meat pieces are tenderised by being passed between a pair of closely spaced toothed rollers. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4 in which the meat pieces are tenderised by being passed between two pairs of closely spaced toothed rollers, the axes of one pair being at right angles to the axes of the other pair. 6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the pieces of meat are agglomerated and subject to a compressive force by being fed by a screw conveyor into a container. 7. A process as claimed in claim 6 in which a layer of fat is placed against an inside surface of the container prior to the meat pieces being fed into the container. 8. A process as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 in which the meat pieces are retained in the container for a period under an applied compressive force. 9. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 in which the meat is frozen while subject to a compressive force. 10. A reconstituted meat product produced by a process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Inventors: GIBSON ROYCE GORDON, GIBSON, ROYCE, GORDON
Applicants: GIBSON ROYCE GORDON, GIBSON, ROYCE, GORDON
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A22C7
IPC codes: A23L1