Food product and method of manufacturing a food product

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a food product, and a method of manufacture of the food product. The product is a meat pattie comprising a filling in the form of a sauce for the meat which will be released when the pattie has been cooked. The product comprises a base [6] and a cover [8], generally flat and conveniently of circular-type shape muscle meat, having been subjected to a tumbling operation in brine to bring myacin of the meat to the surface. The base [6] is placed on a flat surface, and a slug of a filling material is placed centrally on the base, and a cover [conveniently provided with a decorative embellishment, such as a lattice of puff pastry] is placed over the base, and crimped onto the base. Preferably the product is subjected to a superficial cooking operation, cooking the product to a depth of less than 2 mm, prior to chilling, and packaging for sale.

Description: This invention is concerned with improvements relating to food products, and to methods of manufacture of food products. The invention has been devised primarily in relation to the production of a meat-based product, and in particular to a product based on the muscle meat of poultry. It is however to be appreciated that the invention may be utilised for meat in general terms, including fish, and particularly may be utilised in relation to synthetic meat products based on vegetable protein, such as soya. Several suggestions have been made to provide a food product comprising layers of meat or fish, with a filling sandwiched therebetween, in the form of a terrine, as is disclosed in FR-A-2577389, FR-A-2213022, EP-A-0322009, EP-A-0193392, and GB-A-2129668. According to this invention there is provided a food product comprising a base of meat, a cover of meat, the base and the cover having been crimped together along a peripheral line with portions of the base and cover within the peripheral line being spaced apart to provide a cavity in which a filling of the food product is located, the product having been subjected to a superficial cooking operation. By the performance of the superficial cooking operation, the product is provided with a superficial enclosed texture, without incurring the disadvantages of providing the product fully cooked. Preferably the product is cooked to a depth of no more than 5 mm, preferably less than 2 mm, and advantageously utilises an operation which does not involve adding fat to the product. Advantageously the cover is provided with an embellishment of pastry, conveniently in the form of an open-work lattice of pastry strips. The superficial cooking operation not only adheres the cover to the base, but also partially cooks the embellishment, and causes the embellishment to adhere to the cover. According to this invention there is also provided a method of manufacturing a food product involving the steps: [a] providing two meat patties [6, 8]; [b] treating the patties to bring myacin to the surface; [c] sandwiching between the patties a filling [10]; [d] crimping the patties [6, 8] together around their edge regions to secure the two patties together along a peripheral line with portions of the base and cover within the peripheral line being spaced apart to provide a cavity [7] in which the filling is located; and [e] subjecting the patties to a superficial cooking operation. Preferably the method also comprises the step of chilling [but preferably not freezing] the product, and packaging the product. Preferably the step [e] is carried out in the absence of additional fat, and advantageously involves subjecting the product to hot, preferably saturated air, preferably at a temperature of between 50°C and 80°C for a period of between 2 and 5 minutes. Advantageously the method involves the provision of an embellishment of pastry to the cover prior to the step [e]. There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings,of a food product, and a method of manufacture of the food product which have been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example. In the accompanying drawings: FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevational view showing the product during the course of its manufacture; FIGURE 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view through the product; and FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the product. The food product which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is a meat pattie comprising a filling in the form of a sauce for the meat which will be released when the pattie has been cooked. The product comprises a base 6 and a cover 8, generally flat, and conveniently of circular-type shape [including ovoid] of meat muscle, having been subjected to a tumbling operation in brine to bring myacin of the meat to the surface. The base 6 is placed on a flat surface, and a billet or slug 10 of a filling material is placed generally centrally on the base, the billet 10 being conveniently frozen and of shape-retaining form whilst retained cold. The filling may be of any convenient material, but it is particularly envisaged that the billet may be of a material which, when the product is cooked, is released to form a sauce for the meat, and may conveniently afford a cheese sauce. The cover 8 is provided with a decorative embellishment conveniently in the form of a lattice 9 of puff pastry. The cover 8 is then crimped to the base 6 along a peripheral line, conveniently by a crimping tool 12 which is designed to exert radial inward pressure on the cover 8, to avoid the formation of a thick outer flange. The product is thus produced into a dome-shape, with portions of the base and cover within the peripheral line being spaced apart to provide a cavity in which the filling is located. The myacin which has been brought to the surface of the patties by the tumbling operation is effective to adhere the base and cover together, and the product is then fed through a heating oven at which it is subjected to heated and humidified air sufficient to cook the product superficially only. e.g. to a depth of less than 5 mm, preferably less than 2 mm. In this manner, the superficial protein of the product is "set" both to retain the base and cover secured together, and to present an "enclosed" texture to the product, this being accomplished without any significant rise in temperature to the filling 10 as would cause the filling to melt. For example, the product may be subjected to the superficial cooking operation in the absence of additional fat by subjecting the product to heating by super-saturated air at a temperature of between 80°C and 90°C [wet bulb] and 90°C and 110°C [dry bulb]. In addition to providing the superficial cooking of the meat, the cooking also partly cooks the lattice pastry work 9 provided on the cover, causing the pastry work to "puff-up", and to adhere to the cover 8, to provide a product having considerable visual attraction. The product may be chilled, and packaged for sale.

Claims: A food product comprising a base [6] of meat, a cover [8] of meat, the base and the cover having been crimped together along a peripheral line with portions of the base and cover within the peripheral line being spaced apart to provide a cavity (7) in which a filling of the food product is located, the product having been subjected to a superficial cooking operation. A food product according to Claim 1 wherein the superficial cooking operation involves cooking the product to a depth of no more than 5 mm. A food product according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the cooking operation does not involve adding fat to the product. A food product according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover is provided with an embellishment [9] of pastry. A food product according to Claim 4 wherein the embellishment a is an open-work lattice of pastry strips. A method of manufacture of a food product involving the steps: [a] providing two meat patties [6, 8]; [b] treating the patties to bring myacin to the surface; [c] sandwiching between the patties a filling [10]; [d] crimping the patties [6, 8] together around their edge regions to secure the two patties together along a peripheral line with portions of the base and cover within the peripheral line being spaced apart to provide a cavity [7] in which the filling is located; and [e] subjecting the patties to a superficial cooking operation. A method according to Claim 6 wherein the method also comprises the steps [f] chilling [but preferably not freezing] the product, and [g] packaging the product. A method according to one of Claims 6 and 7 wherein the step [e] is carried out in the absence of additional fat. A method according to Claim 8 wherein the step [e] involves subjecting the product to hot, preferably saturated air, preferably at a temperature of between 50°C and 80°C for a period of between 2 and 5 minutes. A method according to any one of Claims 6 to 9 wherein an embellishment [9] of pastry is applied to the cover [8] prior to step [e].

Inventors: CLARKE EDWARD THOMAS, JULL HARVEY WILLIAM, CLARKE, EDWARD THOMAS, JULL, HARVEY WILLIAM
Applicants: SUN VALLEY POULTRY, SUN VALLEY POULTRY LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1