Patent ID: 7101583

Claim:
A method for processing a food product, comprising: placing uncooked food product into a two-piece steamer apparatus having a bottom-unloading basket that has a top opening for accepting a product and a bottom opening for discharging a product, and a support base configured to mate with said bottom opening of said basket, whereby when said basket and said support base are mated, the product is prevented from exiting the basket through said bottom opening of said basket; placing said steamer apparatus within a closable cooking vessel; securing a removable cover into a closed position on said cooking vessel; steam-cooking said food product in said cooking vessel; unfastening said removable cover from said cooking vessel; removing said basket from the cooking vessel, thereby separating said basket from said support base and releasing the cooked food product directly into said cooking vessel, and then removing the support base up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel; securing a removable agitator dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel, said agitator dome having integrally-connected mixing blades protruding downwardly into said cooking vessel; and mechanically mixing the steamed food product within the covered cooking vessel at atmospheric pressure.