GB2447284A - Roasting tray - Google Patents

Abstract

A roasting tray 1 has parallel slats 3 folded downwardly out of its base, thus forming slots that allow cooking juices 6 to drip down away from the meat 8 during cooking into a secondary drip tray 5 beneath. The slats 3 serve to guide the dripping juices 6. The secondary tray may be on a lower shelf of an oven or the upper tray 1 may be held above it by legs (7, Figure 4) in a version for microwave use. Any vegetables in the tray 5 will be flavoured with the cooking stock/juices from the meat above.

Description

Roasting drip tray

Description

Background

This invention relates to a roasting tray that allows the cooking juices to drip away from the meat as it cooks.

Traditionally when meat is being cooked it sits in its own cooking juices, and when cooking a large bird (turkey) for example, the amount of excess juice can be considerable and removing the bird from the oven can be quite hazardous. Even when the bird is removed from the cooking tray and allowed to rest before serving, the base meat and lower parts of the drumsticks are still very greasy, and presentation vegetables and garnishes are soon spoiled with the excess cooking juices running from the meat.

If you want to roast vegetables to accompany the meat, you will often have to by pre-flavoured oil/fats/lards, e.g. goose fat or dripping, to get the desired roasted flavours.

Statement of invention

To overcome these problems, this tray allows the juices to be drained away during cooking though the slats in the bottom of the tray and collected in a secondary roasting tray on the shelf below.

Detailed description

By allowing the juices 6 to drip off the down-turned lips 3 into a separate collecting/roasting tray 5 on a lower oven shelf underneath the slatted one 1, it means that the end product is meat 8 which is less greasy, just a juicy and ready to serve straight from the oven without spoiling the accompanying garnish on the serving dish. The down turned lips would hold the tray in position on the oven shelf 4. The slats also mean that when sufficient juices have gathered at an appropriate point during the meat cooking process (or are topped up if required) that the roasting of vegetables in the lower tray may take place at the same time, depending on oven temperature, while the meat is finishing off cooking and more naturally achieve the desired flavour.

It would also significantly reduce the chance of oil spillage when removing the bird from the oven due to lack of oil movement in the pan, which often is the primary cause of the unsteady pan.

The cooking tray would be of standard dimensions, with typically raised sides, as with most standard roasting trays, and could be made from strong tin foil ( as with current disposable roasting trays), stainless steel or other appropriate metals, preferably coated with a non-stick material, for example polytetrafluorethiene. It may also be made from durable heat resistant microwaveable plastic. The base tray would be made to the same/similar

specifications.

This invention would be most suitable for, but not exclusively used for, the cooking of birds/white meat.

For a microwavable version fig 4, the top slatted tray would incorporate a stand/legs 7 that would allow the slatted drip tray to stand above the collecting tray during cooking.

The invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the empty slatted drip tray 1 from above, and where the slats would be positioned 2.

Figure 2 shows the down turned positioning lips 3, on the tray 1, from face on.

Figure 3 shows the tray 1 with a chicken in it 8, on a typical oven shelf 4 with the collecting trayS, below it gathering the cooking juices 6.

Figure 4 shows the microwaveable version of the tray on legs 7

Claims (14)

1. Claims 1. The slats in the bottom of the tray allow the drainage of

   cooking juices from the meat.
2. 2. The down turned lips on the underside of the tray helps keep the tray in place on the oven shelf and guides the juices to ajuice gathering tray below.
3. 3. Naturally occurring cooking juices prevent the meat sticking to the pan.
4. 4. Especially good for meal/fowl that has to be marinated (as with Nigella Lawson's Christmas Turkey recipe), excess juicesfliquors can be drained off thereby leaving the flavours in the meat minus the excess liquid.
5. 5. When flavouring meats during the cooking process, because the meat is not constantly sitting in flavoured juices this ensures an even all-over flavour of the meat after cooking and prevents the lower meat being more strongly flavoured than that at the top.
6. 6. Basting of the meat is made easier and safer by not having to move, for example, the turkey in the drip tray at all with only coverings such as tin foil having to be removed to facilitate the basting of the meat in the usual way.
7. 7. Depending on basting and foil removal timings the meat doesn't dry out and a crispy skin is still achievable.
8. 8. After cooking, the meat is able to be served immediately without the need to wipe off excess oil or juices as these have already drained away, only a small amount will remain in the chest cavity of fowl which can easily be poured out by tipping the bird slightly before removing it from the oven.
9. 9. For safe removal of a bird from the oven the tipping in claim 8 should be done a few (aprox 10) minutes before the total cooking time is complete thereby allowing these juices to drip into the tray below and not onto the kitchen floor.
10. 10. As in claim 8 the lack of residue juices means that transferring meat directly onto a serving dish is now possible without spoiling/soaking the presentation with the usual excess juices.
11. 11. Promotes a reduced fat meat and assists with a thorough cooking by draining cooking fats and preventing meat from sitting in its own fats.
12. 12. When enough juices that have gathered in the pan beneath and depending on oven temperature, the lower tray can be used to roast accompanying vegetables in thereby enhancing their flavour with the meats stock/juices.
13. 13. Regardless of tin dimensions, shape or size, the overall principle and effect of drainage is still the same.
14. 14. Cooking apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.