GB2166037A

GB2166037A - A method of preparing a reformed food product

Info

Publication number: GB2166037A
Application number: GB08526136A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Nicholas Dymand; Lance James Pool
Original assignee: SOUTHERN PEAKS Ltd
Current assignee: SOUTHERN PEAKS Ltd
Priority date: 1984-10-23
Filing date: 1985-10-23
Publication date: 1986-04-30
Also published as: AU4881785A; NZ209943A; AU575694B2; JPS61104765A; DE3537713A1; GB2166037B; GB8526136D0

Abstract

A method of preparing a food product from scraps of meat or fish or inferior cuts of meat or fish in which method the meat or fish is cut into thin flakes and gently blended at slow speed with water and a binder which includes soy protein isolate, sodium chloride, and sodium polyphosphates; the mixture is then formed to any desired shape.

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of producing a food product BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of producing a food product from inferior cuts of meat or from scraps of meat or fish. The meat may be chicken or other bird meat.

(b) Background of the Invention For centuries, it has been common practice for butchers to use up scraps of meat by finely chopping or grinding the scraps and using the comminuted meat to fill casings to form sausages. Typically, the comminuted meat is mixed with fillers (eg. cereals) to 'extend' the meat and with spices, flavourings and preservatives. Binders may also be added to the comminuted meat. For example, UK Patent No. 1258541 discloses a sausage-meat binder made of wheat flour, or rusk, or isolated soya protein.

A more recent method of using up scraps of meat is to grind or mince meat to form the minced meat into patties or rissoles or Lamburgers or meat load or a range of similar products (hereinafter called patty-type products) As with sausages, patty-type products often have filler added to the meat, and may also contain spices, flavourings and preservatives. Since the pattytype products are not contained in a casing like sausages, the meat usually has a binder added to it, to assist the cohesion of the meat particles during handling and cooking.

A wide variety of binders have been proposed for patty-type products:- for example, US Patent No. 4123557 discloses a milk-based binder; European patent application No. 81303554 (publication No. 46639) discloses a binder comprising 99.5%-50% water soluable proteincontaining material (eg. alkali metal caseinates) and 0.5-50% of a hydrocolloid (eg. carboxymethylcellulose) However, the products mentioned in the above prior art patents are all sausages or patty-type products, made of finely chopped or ground meat and are not a direct substitute for standard cuts of meat or fish such as steaks, in that their texture, taste, appearance, and mouthfeel is very obviously different to that of a standard cut of meat or fish.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of preparing a food product from scraps or poor quality cuts of meat or fish which is substantially indistinguishable in appearance, texture, taste and mouthfeel from a standard good-quality cut of meat or fish. Unexpectedly, it has been found that surprisingly good results are obtained if the meat or fish is cut into thin flakes, (rather than minced or ground or chopped as in the prior art methods) and is minced with the binder very slowly and gently, rather than using high-speed blenders or mixers commonly used in prior art methods.

ihe present invention therefore provides a method of producing a food product from meat or fish, comprising the steps of: (1) Cutting the meat or fish into flakes with minimal crushing or grinding of the meat or fish; (2) providing a binder which includes soy protein isolate, sodium chloride and sodium polyphosphates (food grade); (3) gently blending the binder and the meat or fish flakes and water together in a paddle blender at a speed in the range 15-35 revolutions per minute for 3-10 minutes; (4) forming the blended mixture of flakes, binder and water into a desired shape.

Preferably, the flakes of meat or fish are in the size range: thickness 1-2mm., width 6-15mm, Length 5-25mm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The starting material may be solid meat or fish, or meat or fish scraps, all boneless and with visible fat trimmed to an extent dependant upon the desired final product. Gristle and connective tissue need not be removed. If necessary, the meat or fish is pre-cut into manageable size pieces and is then cut into thin flakes which preferably are in the size range: thickness 1-2mm., width 6-15mm, length 5-25mm. The flaking may be carried out by any suitable means, and must be done with a minimum of crushing or grinding of the meat or fish; any gristle or connective tissue is flaked with the meat or fish. The preferred means of cutting the meat or fish into flakes is an Urschel 'Comitrol' (Trade Mark) machine.

A binder is then prepared having a formula within the following range: Ingredient Weight of dry solid in grams per 100 Kgm of meat or fish flakes Soy protein isolate 1010 - 990 Sodium chloride 707 - 693 Sodium polyphosphates 454.5 445.5 (food grade) Monosodium glutamate 202 - 198 Hydrolysed vegetable protein. 141.4 - 138.6 Disodium inosinate 2.53 - 2.47 Disodium guanylate 2.53 - 2.47 Ascorbic acid 5.05 - 4.95 The most important constituents of the binder are soy protein isolate, sodium chlorides and sodium polyphosphates; the soy protein isolate helps to bind the flakes into a coherent mass, sodium chloride is a preservative, and the sodium polyphosphates are emulsifiers and also are of value as nutrients.Of the remaining ingredients, the monosodium glutamate, hydrolysed vegetable protein, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are primaraly flavour enhancers, and the ascorbic acid is an antioxident and preservative and also assists the meat or fish to retain a natural colour. Suitable quantities of equivalent flavour enhancers and/or antioxidants or preservatives may be substituted if preferred.

Preferably, a total weight (dry solids) of 2.5Kgm of binder is used per 100 Kgm of meat. The correct quantity of binder for the amount of meat or fish flakes to be processed is added to 10-15 Kgm of water per 100 Kgm of meat or fish. For most meat or fish, about 10 Kgm. of water per 100 Kgm. flakes is required, but for very dry meats such as venison, about 15 Kgm.

of water per 100 Kgm. of meat gives better results.

The binder solution and the meat or fish flakes are then gently mixed in a paddle blender; this mixing may be carried out under vacuum but need not be. The paddle blender is operated at a speed in the range 15-35 revolutions per minute, (preferably 20-30 revolutions per minute) and the mixing continues for 3-10 minutes (typically 5 or 6 minutes), until the mixture is tacky.

The mixture is then shaped to any desired shape eg. to simulate the appearance of a steak.

This shaping may be done by extrusion or other suitable means. The finished product may then be cooked or put into chilled or frozen storage, as if it were an ordinary cut of meat.

The finished product has been found to have a taste, texture, appearance and mouthfeel virtually indistinguishable from that of a good-quality cut of the corresponding meat or fish.

In addition to the meat or fish in the form of the flakes, other meat or fish can be added to the ingredients by mixing therewith solid meat pieces or solid fish pieces in an amount up to four times the weight of the meat or fish flakes. In this case the proportion of the other commodities are still related to the weight of the meat or fish flakes and not to the total weight of the meat or fish.

After the product has been extruded or otherwise formed to shape, it is preferably reduced in temperature to -6"C right through for 12-24 hours, then pressed in a meat press and sliced to the required thickness or cubed.

Claims

1. A method of producing a food product from meat or fish, comprising the steps of: 1) Cutting the meat or fish into flakes with mimimal crushing or grinding of the meat or fish; 2) providing a binder which includes soy protein isolate, sodium chloride, and sodium polyphosphates (food grade); 3) gently blending the binder and the meat or fish flakes and water together in a paddle blender at a speed in the range 15-35 revolutions per minute for 3-10 minutes; 4) forming the blended mixture of flakes, binder and water into a desired shape.

2. The method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the meat or fish flakes are in the size range: thickness 1-2mm.

width 6-15mm length 5-25mm

3. The method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said binder contains, in dry solids, by weight, per 100 Kgm. meat or fish flakes, 1010-990 gm. soy protein isolate, 707-693 gm.

sodium chloride, and 454.5-445.5 gm. sodium polyphosphates.

4. The method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein in step (3) 10-15 Kgm. of water are used per 100 Kgm. meat or fish flakes.

5. The method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the binder comprises, in dry solids, by weight per 100 Kgm. of meat or fish flakes: Soy protein isolate 1010 - 990 gm sodium chloride 707 693 gm sodium polyphosphates 454.5 445.5 gm (food grade) monosodium glutamate 202 198 gm hydrolysed vegetable protein 141.4 138.6 gm Disodium inosinate 2.53 2.47 gm Disodium guanylate 2.53 2.47 gm ascorbic acid 5.05 4.95 gm

6. The method as claimed in Claim 5 wherein approximately 2.5 Kgm. of binder is used per 100 Kgm. of meat or fish flakes.

7. The method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the binder is mixed with the water before the meat or fish flakes are added to said mixture.

8. A food product prepared by the method claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A method of producing a food product as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

10. A food product prepared by the method claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 7, including mixing with the other ingredients a quantity of solid meat pieces or solid fish piece of a weight up to four times the weight of the meat or fish flakes.