Abstract:
A system and method of packaging a food product which provides a long shelf life, wherein the food product is cooked on rollers heated to 500° to 550° F. degrees in an oven heated to 750° to 800° F. for less than ten minutes and then enters a blast chiller at about 5° F. After cooling the product to 40° F. the product is placed in a cook-in bag, seasonings are added and the bag is vacuum-sealed and stored in a cooler at about 40° F. or lower. The seasonings are irradiated prior to being added to the food product to further control pathogen growth.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cooking using high temperature radiant heating in a closed oven having a food product rotating device to enhance flavor and cooking efficiency and having a packaging sequence for providing a cooked food product having a long shelf life. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Installation of radiant burners above the food to be cooked results in several advantages as described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,444 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/878,832, now abandoned filed Jul. 27, 2007 which is also incorporated herein in its entirety. Importantly, juices falling from the cooking food will not fall on the burners. This reduces flare-up and smoke in the cooking process. Without juices or fats falling on the burners, there is no chance for the meat to be overcooked by charring or catching on fire. Further, when using a rotisserie, the burner can be set at a high temperature so that the radiant heat rays penetrate into the food which provides fast and efficient cooking without burning. However, when using a conventional rotisserie, the meat product must be attached to or skewered on a spit which is a labor intensive manner of cooking. 
     The labor and time involved increases as the volume of meat is increased. When cooking for a restaurant or for sale as prepackaged cooked meats, the labor involved in cooking becomes a more important as the oven is used repeatedly to cook meat products. In these commercial applications the turnaround time of removing cooked meat from the oven and replacing it with raw meat is an important factor. 
     Another important factor is the packaging process after cooking to package the cooked food product so as to provide a long shelf life. Under proper conditions, the shelf life can exceed 60 days without freezing the product. 
     In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new radiant burner cooking system which provides a fast cooking time and a flavorful cooked product packaged for a long shelf life while avoiding laborous and time consuming activities of cooking on a spit. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a fast cooking apparatus, system and method through the use of an oven having radiant burners located interiorly at the top portion thereof and a set rollers which rotate the food product to cause even heating of the product under the radiant burners. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a food product cooking device having rotating tubes for turning the food product during cooking. 
     Yet another object of the invention is a method of cooking food products using rotating rollers and radiant heating. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a roasting oven having a sliding roller system to facilitate use and cleaning of the supporting rollers. 
     Another object of the invention is the use of wheeled support legs to assist in supporting the sliding roller system. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide removable rollers to facilitate cleaning of the food product rotating system. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a drawer system having a motorized roller assembly for use with a roasting oven. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide rollers heated to 500° to 550° F. 
     Yet another object is to provide a food product cooking device having an air temperature within the heated oven at preferably 750° to 800°. 
     Another object of the invention is that after the food product leaves the oven, it is transported to a blast chiller. 
     Still another object of the invention is to package the food product in a cook-in bag after it leaves the blast chiller 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide sterilized seasonings to prevent bacterial growth. 
     It must be understood that no one embodiment of the present invention need include all of the aforementioned objects of the present invention. Rather, a given embodiment may include one or none of the aforementioned objects. Accordingly, these objects are not to be used to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. Other objects, uses and advantages will be apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof. 
     In summary, the invention is directed to, in a preferred embodiment, as a cooking system having an oven including an interior heating space within an enclosure formed by a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, a right side wall and a door for accessing the interior heating space wherein the oven further includes a radiant burner assembly adjacent the top wall and the oven further including a drawer assembly located adjacent the bottom wall and having a series of rollers for supporting a food product during operation of the oven. The drawer assembly includes a motor operatively connected thereto for causing the series of rollers to rotate, whereby the food product can be rotated on said rollers during operation of the oven. 
     The invention includes as a part of the cooking system, a movable drawer assembly for use with a roasting oven. The drawer assembly includes a movable enclosure having a front wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a rear wall and a series of rollers extending between said side walls. The said rollers being rotatable and adapted to support a food product and a motor is mounted on one of said side walls and is adapted to rotate the series of rollers. 
     The invention further includes a method of cooking a food product comprising the steps of withdrawing a roller rack having a plurality of rollers from an oven, placing a food product on the roller rack, sliding the roller rack into the oven, and operating the roller rack to turn the food product during cooking and applying heat from a radiant heat source located above the roller rack to apply heat to and cook the food product. 
     The invention further includes a method of packaging a food product which provides a long shelf life, wherein the food product is cooked on rollers heated to 500° to 550° F. degrees in an oven heated to 750° to 800° F. for less than ten minutes and then enters a blast chiller at about 5° F. After cooling the product to 40° F. the product is placed in a cook-in bag, seasonings are added and the bag is vacuum sealed and stored in a cooler at about 40° F. or lower. The seasonings are irradiated prior to being added to the food product to further control pathogen growth. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an oven with the drawer assembly pulled out; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the drawer assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the drawer assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the drawer assembly of  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the drawer assembly of  FIG. 2  showing the roller assembly in hidden lines; 
         FIG. 6  is a left side view of the motor and gear assembly; and, 
         FIG. 7  is a right side view of the drawer assembly 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     This invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated however that modifications and improvements may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an oven  10  includes a top wall  12 , a bottom wall  14 , a rear wall  16 , a right side wall  18 , a left sidewall  20  and a slidable drawer assembly  24 . All of the walls  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  are constructed of non-combustible materials and are preferably stainless steel. The oven  10  may vary in size, but is preferably about three feet high and about five feet wide and two and one-half feet in depth. The drawer assembly  24  is preferably slidably mounted within the oven  10  preferably at the lower portion thereof and extends across oven  10  from wall  20  to wall  18 . An electric motor  26  is located exteriorly of the oven  10  adjacent wall  20  and is connected to drawer assembly  24  for rotating rollers  28 . It should be understood that the motor  26  may be a variable speed motor and may be mounted on either side of oven drawer assembly  24 . The motor  26  extends through wall  20  via a slot  30 . A radiant burner assembly  32  is located at top wall  12  and directs radiant heat downwardly onto the food product supported by the rollers  28 . The rollers  28  are preferably about five inches in diameter and spaced apart about on-half inch and is preferably constructed of stainless steel although other suitable materials may be used. The size of the rollers  28  and their spacing may vary according to a particular application. The food product is typically meat such as pork roast or beef roast which is formed of a round or ovoid shape that will rotate on the rollers  28 . However, it should be understood that the oven  10  could be used to heat whatever product is desired. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , drawer assembly  24  is shown having a front wall  40  having a front surface  42  and a back surface  44 . A handle  46  is attached to the front surface  42 . The handle  46  is preferably attached to the front surface  42  by any suitable means such as screws or bolts (not shown). A pair of spacers  48  separate the handle  46  from the wall  40  which will become hot during operation of the oven  10 . An attachment bracket  50  is secured to the back surface  44  of the front wall  40  by screws or bolts (not shown) at holes  52 . Bracket  50  connects to the left sidewall  54  and the right sidewall  56  using screws or bolts (not shown) through holes  58 . Left sidewall  54  is formed of two brackets  60  and  62  which when joined together by screws or bolts (not shown) through holes  64  form a gear housing  66  for containing a sprocket assembly  68  which will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . Rear wall  70  extends between left sidewall  54  and right sidewall  56  and is attached at holes  72  by screws or bolts (not shown) to the respective sidewalls  54  and  56 . Rear wall includes a shelf  74  extending from a lower portion thereof toward the front wall  40  to assist in supporting a drip pan  76  which can be inserted and removed through the slot  78  in front wall  40 . The drip pan  76  is used to catch juices from the cooking food product and pan  76  is removable for cleaning. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , the motor  26  is mounted at left sidewall  54  by screws or bolts (not shown) at an opening  82  for receiving the motor drive shaft  84 . A typical motor for use in this system can be Gearmotor, 1.0 RPM, Torque 100, 115V, Open manufactured by Grainger. 
     Now with reference to  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  the drawer assembly  24  includes shaft  84  engages a drive sprocket  86  which drives a chain  88  which engages sprockets  90 ,  92 ,  94  and  96  which operate to turn the rollers  98 ,  100 ,  102  and  104 , respectively. Sprockets  106 ,  108  and  110  are located between sprockets  90 ,  92 ,  94  and  96  to create a serpentine path in chain  88  to aid in keeping chain  88  engaged with sprockets  90 ,  92 ,  94  and  96 . A tensioning sprocket  112  also engages chain  88  and is connected to sidewall  54  on adjustment slot  114 . In the preferred embodiment the sprocket are 2.231 outside diameter sprocket such as those sold by Grainger Corporation having a model number 35B17F-1/2. 
     Each of the sprockets  90 ,  92 ,  94  and  96  is mounted on a spindle  116 ,  118 ,  120  and  122 , respectively which extends through bracket  60  and into a bushing  124 ,  126 ,  128  and  130 , respectively. The spindles  116 ,  118 ,  120  and  120  are spaced apart five and one-half inches. Each of bushings  124 ,  126 ,  128  and  130  engages a respective left end  132 ,  134 ,  136  and  138  of a roller  98 ,  100 ,  102  and  104  so that when a spindle  116 ,  118 ,  120  and  122  is rotated, its respective roller  98 ,  100 ,  102  and  104  is also rotated. 
     The right ends  140 ,  142 ,  144  and  146  of rollers  98 ,  100 ,  102  and  104 , respectively rest in and are supported by bearing races  148 ,  150 ,  152  and  154  of right sidewall  56 . 
     To aid in sliding the drawer assembly  24  in and out of oven  10 , a pair of legs  200  are mounted at the bottom  160  of front wall  40  to support the drawer assembly  24  when it is in the extended position. 
     In operation, the oven is heated using the gas fired radiant burners located at the top thereof. The drawer assembly  24  is pulled outwardly. A food product is then placed on the rollers and the motor is turned on so that the food product rotates. The drawer assembly is then pushed back into the oven  10  and the food product is cooked under the radiant burners for a sufficient time. Usually about 5 to 10 minutes is sufficient to destroy any bacteria on the exterior of the food product. The roasting temperature is set at the high setting of preferably 750° to 800° F. during the entire cooking period. This tends to seal the juices into the meat as it cooks. The rollers  98 ,  100 ,  102  and  104  are also heated to a temperature of preferably 500° to 550° F. It should be understood that the product is not fully cooked. When cooking time is completed, the drawer assembly  24  is then pulled out again and the food product is removed. 
     Next the product is taken to a chilling station having a blast chiller which is of conventional design to chill the product down to near 40°. A blast chiller is basically a freezer having an interior temperature set at preferably about 5° F. and also having fans to blow the chilled air about inside the freezer to quickly chill the food product. When handling the food product after cooking it must be handled carefully with sterilized utensils since the surface of the product has been neutralized and is susceptible to other pathogens. It has also been found that the faster the product is cooled, the longer the shelf life will be. 
     Once the food product is cooled to preferably about 40°, the product is placed along with seasonings in a cook-in bag of conventional design and the bag is then vacuum-sealed and stored in a cooler at about 40° or less. Cook-in bags are used so that the food product can be ready to cook by the consumer. The seasonings are preferably irradiated to kill any pathogens before adding to the food product. 
     To clean the drawer assembly  24 , the drawer assembly  24  is again pulled out and the rollers can be removed for cleaning. 
     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/or adaptions of the invention following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as maybe applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.