Improvements in and relating to the Preservation of Meat.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1899 -Accepted, 29th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
1
Improvements in and relating to the Preservation of Meat.
I, FREDERICK COWIN, of No. 6431, South Green Street, Chicago, County of
Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America, Superintendent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to the art of preserving meats by forming a substantially
air-tight film over same.
The main objects of my invention are to provide a film of this class, consisting
of a meat product; to utilize for this purpose a product which has heretofore
been of but little direct value in the meat packing industry; to impart an
improved appearance to the article treated; and to counteract the escape of flavor
or aroma from the meat by the use of a covering which in itself contains a meat
flavor or aroma.
In practice, I prefer to first enclose the meat in an envelope of paper, canvas,
skin, or other suitable covering material, and then dip such package into a
gelatinous liquid-extract of meat, of suitable consistency to dry upon, and form
an air-tight film over said envelope.
I have discovered that the liquid extract obtained in trying lard, is par-
ticularly adapted for forming such film.
It will be understood that in trying lard, the meat and bones are boiled in
water. The lard is then drawn off, and the solid matter removed, leaving a
brownish liquid, commonly known as tank-water, and which has heretofore been
found of little practical value, except in the manufacture of commercial fertilizers.
To prepare the tank-water for this purpose, I simply reduce same by evapora-
tion, to the consistency of a thick sirup. A coating of this liquid is then applied
to the meat, by dipping the meat therein, or spreading the liquid over same, and
allowing it to dry thereon.
A flexible transparent film, having a glossy, and dark brown or smoked appear-
ance, is thus formed over the meat. This coating material, being an extract from
the meat and bones, contains all of the nutritive elements other than the lard,
and therefore possesses a strong meat flavor or aroma.
It will be plain that a covering of this kind, being saturated with a meat
flavor, will not readily absorb flavor from the meat enclosed thereby.
When this coating is used on canvassed hams or sausages, the canvas or skin
will become, to some extent, impermeated with the flavor of the coating material,
and will thus also resist absorption of the flavor from the meat.
I am aware that it is old to cover food products with a substantially air-tight
film, and therefore do not broadly claim such means for preserving same. I am
not aware however, that the particular material which I have described has
ever been used for such purpose until my discovery that same could be so applied.
Neither am I aware that similar envelopes enclosing the meat have been coated
with an air-tight film of a meat extract.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. A meat covering comprising an envelope of canvas, skin, or like flexible
material, completely enclosing the meat, and having its outer surface coated with
a flexible air-tight film formed of a meat extract, substantially as described.
2. A meat covering comprising an envelope of canvas, skin, or like flexible
material, completely enclosing the meat, and having its outer surface coated with
a flexible air-tight film formed of a meat extract, and having a meat aroma and
flavor; substantially as described.
3. The preservation of meat by covering the same with a substantially air-tight
film formed by evaporating, to the consistency of sirup, the liquid residue
obtained in trying lard, having a meat aroma and flavor, and applied to the
surface of the meat or package containing same, ànd dried thereon, substantially
as described.
Dated this 22nd day of Tune 1800
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.