GB2240252A

GB2240252A - Preparation of a burger patty

Info

Publication number: GB2240252A
Application number: GB9017995A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Mcdonagh
Original assignee: RALVILLE Ltd
Current assignee: RALVILLE Ltd
Priority date: 1990-01-30
Filing date: 1990-08-16
Publication date: 1991-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2010-08-16
Also published as: GB9017995D0; IE62331B1; GB2240252B; IE900329A1

Abstract

In a process for the preparation of a burger patty raw meat cuts comprising unfrozen meat cuts are ground and blended to a uniform temperature and composition. A sample of the meat is taken and analysed for fat content. The fat content of the meat is regulated by the further addition of fat or lean meat, if required, to maintain the fat content at an optimum valve of between 16% and 18% by weight. After blending in seasoning ingredients, the meat is formed into patties, frozen and packed.

Description

"A process for the preparation of a burger patty" This invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of burger patties.

According to the invention there is provided a process for the preparation of a burger patty, comprising the steps of; (a) introducing selected raw meat cuts comprising unfrozen meat cuts and frozen meat cuts into a grinder, (b) simultaneously grinding the frozen and unfrozen meat cuts, (c) conveying the combined fresh and frozen ground meat to a blender, (d) blending the ground meat to a uniform temperature and composition, (e) taking a sample of the meat and analysing the fat content of the meat, (f) adjusting the composition of the meat if necessary by the further addition of fat or lean meat to achieve a fat content of between 16% and 18% by weight, (g) adding seasoning ingredients to the meat and further blending the meat for uniform distribution of the seasoning, (h) forming the meat into a burger patty.

Preferably between 10% and 50% by weight of the selected meat cuts are in a frozen state.

In another embodiment prior to the step of forming the meat into a burger patty the step of further grinding the meat and delivering the meat through a bone collector to remove any bone chips, gristle and cartilage from the meat is carried out.

In a further embodiment the process further includes the steps of freezing the burger patties by delivering the burger patties through a freezer and delivering the frozen burger patties through a metal detector and rejecting any burger patties containing metal particles.

The invention will be more clearly understood from following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a block diagram illustrating the process according to the invention.

Initially selected raw beef cuts 8, comprising unfrozen beef cuts and frozen beef cuts are inspected and loaded into a grinder 10 to simultaneously grind the frozen and unfrozen beef cuts. Delivering portion of the beef to the grinder 10 in a frozen state gives improved grinding of the beef.

Unfrozen raw beef has a tacky consistency and tends to stick to internal parts of the grinder resisting movement through the grinder. However, frozen beef passes easily through the grinder and tends to scrape the unfrozen beef off internal surfaces of the grinder keeping the beef moving more easily through the grinder. Thus a quicker and cleaner passage of beef through the grinder is achieved.

Ground beef is then conveyed to a blender 12 to blend the ground beef to a uniform temperature and composition. As portion of the ground beef is still initially in a frozen state it is quicker and easter for the blender to mix the beef and a more even mixing of the beef can be achieved than if none of the beef is frozen.

A sample 14 of the blended beef is taken and analysed to determine the fat content of the beef mixture. Ideally the fat content should be in the order of 16 - 18%, preferably 17% by weight of the beef. If the fat content is not within these parameters the composition of the beef in the blender is adjusted by the further addition of fat or beef as required to bring the fat content to the required level.

After the addition of seasoning ingredients the beef mixture goes through a further blend stage 15 to insure uniform distribution of the seasoning. Then the beef mixture is delivered through a second grinder 16 which includes a bone chip and cartilage eliminator. One suitable type of machine for this function is the Weiler automatic bone collector model BCA-A manufactured by Weiler and Company Inc., Wisconsin, United States of America. This removes bone chips, cartilage, gristle and other tough meat tissues from the beef mixture.

The beef mixture is then delivered to a forming machine 20 to form the beef mixture into burger patties. This forming machine 20 is of conventional construction and the compression setting and air evacuation rate can be adjusted to produce the required burger texture. Beef flow rate into the former is regulated to give the correct patty shape.

The formed burger patties are continually monitored to ensure they are the correct weight and shape. From an outlet of the forming machine the burger patties are automatically conveyed through an in-line freezer 25 and a metal detector 27 which rejects any burger patties containing metal particles both ferrous and non-ferrous. Frozen burger patties are then layer packed at a packing station 28 in polylined corrugated cases which are subsequently weighed, sealed and coded. A number of the frozen burger patties are taken as samples for bacteriological analysis 29.

The invention provides a process for producing a high quality beef burger patty having a relatively low fat content without the use of binders or other artificial additives. It will be appreciated that people are becoming ever-more health conscious and it is advantageous to reduce the fat content in food stuffs to a minimum and also to eliminate if possible the use of artificial additives such as binders, preservatives and the like.

It will be appreciated that in the process according to the invention the regulation of the fat content of the meat can be readily easily achieved by the addition of selected frozen pieces of fat or lean meat which are passed through the grinder to the blender if necessary to achieve a fat content of 17% by weight. Frozen raw meat cuts of different fat compositions can be easily stored over relatively long periods for use as required.

Regulation of fat content to 17% by weight of the meat has been found to be particularly advantageous. This gives a good quality patty with optimum flavour and cooking characteristics. If the fat content is too great, in particular greater than 20%, when cooked the patty has been found to be too greasy and there is a tendency for the patty to disintegrate on cooking as the fat runs off. If too little fat is included, typically less than 14%, the patty is more difficult to cook properly as it burns relatively easily and generally the addition of further fat is required for cooking.

It will be noted that by delivering portion of the beef through the grinder 10 in a frozen state this gives improved grinding of the beef, a quicker and easier passage of meat through the grinder being achieved than if none of the beef was frozen. Further as portion of the ground beef is still frozen when blending is initiated this gives improved mixing of the ground beef. It will also be noted that the frozen meat will cool the remainder of the meat so that final freezing of the formed burger patties can be effected more quickly and with a lower energy requirement.

At the second grind stage unwelcome inclusions such as bone chips, gristle and cartilage are removed to ensure high quality beef burgers are produced. While portion of the beef is frozen at the initial stages of the process for improved grinding and blending, at this stage none of the beef will be frozen to ensure all unwelcome inclusions are removed from the beef.

The invention is not limited to embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a burger patty, comprising the steps of; (a) introducing selected raw meat cuts comprising unfrozen meat cuts and frozen meat cuts into a grinder, (b) simultaneously grinding the frozen and unfrozen meat cuts, (c) conveying the combined fresh and frozen ground meat to a blender, (d) blending the ground meat to a uniform temperature and composition, (e) taking a sample of the meat and analysing the fat content of the meat, (f) adjusting the composition of the meat if necessary by the further addition of fat or lean meat to achieve a fat content of between 16% and 18% by weight, (g) adding seasoning ingredients to the meat and further blending the meat for uniform distribution of the seasoning, (h) forming the meat into a burger patty.

2. A process for the preparation of a burger patty as claimed in claim 1 wherein between 10% and 50% by weight of the selected meat cuts are in a frozen state.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein prior to the step of forming the meat into a burger patty the step of further grinding the meat and delivering the meat through a bone collector is carried out.

4. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 including the further steps of freezing the burger patties by delivering the burger patties through a freezer, and delivering the frozen burger patties through a metal detector and rejecting any burger patties containing metal particles.

5. A process for the preparation of a burger patty substantially as hereinbefpre described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A burger patty whenever produced by a process as claimed in any preceding claim.