GR1009396B - Method for the production of countryside sausages by incorporation of varying types of cheese in the form of compact solid and distinguishable cheese curds - Google Patents

Abstract

Novelty: a method destined for the production of countryside sausages by incorporation thereto of varying types of cheese in the form of compact solid and distinguishable cheese curds is disclosed. Production process: 1)in-hot homogenization of the cheese (spread, soft, semi-hard or hard cheese) with use of pig gelatine and coagulation substances; 2) solidification of the mixture; 3) production of countryside sausages with pig, sheep or beef meat, pig fat and the above cheese curds, according to the know technology. Advantages: the added cheese pieces maintain their cohesion and remain visible in the product while baking; they are not rancid; they are tasteful and have excellent organoleptic properties.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Method of production of country sausages, incorporating in their mass various cheeses (spreadable, soft, semi-hard and hard) in the form of solid, compact and distinct pieces of "cheese curds".

This invention concerns the production of country sausages by adding to their mass various types of cheese in the form of small distinct pieces.

Today, similar cheese products are already on the Greek market. For their production, however, semi-hard or hard cheeses are usually used, because only these can be sliced as they are and remain visible in the mass of the sausage. Despite the fact that the production of "village sausages with gruyere" is technically possible, the ready-made products present problems during baking or frying, the main one being the liquefaction of the cheese and its exit from the mass of the ready-to-eat product, a fact which, however, has as a consequence the degradation of its quality. However, the production of country sausages with feta cheese or other soft and spreadable cheeses, in which the cheese remains visible in the form of distinct pieces, is extremely difficult. Due to their structure, the specific cheeses literally dissolve during chopping and mixing and spread as a slurry throughout the mass of the product. In the section, few pieces of the cheese are visible and the consistency of the sausage becomes loose and barely cohesive, resulting in the product being relatively crumbly when chewed. This is due to the fact that the liquefied mass of the cheese is interposed between the pieces of meat and prevents the muscle protein from "gluing" them together during their heat treatment. This problem is even more pronounced when spreadable cheeses are used, such as Domokou katiki or galotiri, which have an almost liquid structure. But in addition to this specific problem, these cheeses can also negatively affect the binding of fat, resulting in a large amount of it coming out when baking or frying the sausage.

It is therefore obvious that with the current level of know-how at our disposal, it is possible to produce country sausages with cheeses, provided that these cheeses are semi-hard or hard. And indeed the cheese sausages currently on the market are produced only with semi-hard cheeses, caseri, graviera or kefalotyri, which, as mentioned above, present significant problems when baked or fried for consumption. Finally, the few sausages that may exist (if any) with feta, katiki or galotiri cheese are difficult to convince, visually at least the consumer, that they contain cheese.

All the above problems can be solved by the technique of the present invention by which cheeses of all categories (spreadable, soft, semi-hard and hard) become solid, cohesively hard and solid. With the new level of technique of this patent, a solid and stable "curd" is produced, capable of being cut without dissolving and remaining visible, solid and relatively solid within the mass of the sausage even when heated regardless of the structure that has the cheese used each time. In other words, it is possible to produce country sausage even with Domokos katiki or with chicken and for the cheese to be visible in the baked or fried product.

For the successful integration of the cheeses and the possibility of them remaining in the mass of the products of the present invention without separating due to the thermal stress they are subjected to, both during their production process and during baking or frying immediately before their consumption, they were developed appropriate technological processes aimed at:

• The homogenization, solidification and stabilization of the consistency of the cheeses using various coagulants, animal gelatin (pig) and water. The water will help to mash the cheese mass and then these substances will cause the "curd" to solidify, binding the water at the same time. For the solidification of the cheese mass, the animal gelatin will make an essential contribution, which will be strengthened by the vegetable coagulants, which will keep the structure stable even when the sausage is reheated (baking, frying). With the exclusive use of only gelatin, the "curd" produced has a compact and hard structure only under cooling conditions. When the product is heated, the gelatin in the "curd" liquefies and the structure of the sausage becomes undesirably soft. This problem with the present invention has been solved by the combined use and synergistic action of vegetable coagulant additives, which keep the structure of the gel solid even during reheating.

• The use of as little water as possible during the above process and at the same time the addition of components that bind moisture such as the various coagulants we mentioned above. The aim of this action is to keep the water content of the "curd" as low as possible and to bind it very well so that even very soft cheeses can have properties similar to those of hard cheeses.

· The possibility that this solidified "curd" is stable and does not liquefy and is expelled during the heating of the sausages, both during their production stage and during the heating (baking, frying) that occurs before they are consumed

• The possibility that this "curd" has a relatively solid and cohesive structure when chewed and gives the sensation of cheese.

Country sausages with added cheese are produced today by many companies, which use for this purpose hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as graviera, kefalograviera, kefalotyri. However, their production is often associated with technical difficulties and the final products often present quality problems. The use of e.g. caseri, which is a semi-hard cheese, is associated with substantial difficulties that often lead to production errors and inferior quality products. Many times, when the slicing of this cheese is more intense than allowed, a part of it liquefies during pasteurization and comes out of the mass of the product, leading to wrong production. In other cases, the exit of the cheese is more common during the relatively intense heat treatment they undergo before consumption (baking, frying). Nevertheless, the specific problems are much smaller than those observed when the cheeses used are feta or white brine cheese. The specific types of cheese crumbled easily and were almost mushy both when they were cut up and when they were mixed with the rest of the ingredients. And when their added amount is relatively high, they create significant problems with the consistency of the final product, because they interfere between the pieces of meat and prevent their "gluing" during the thermal coagulation of the muscle proteins. This problem is even more pronounced when spreadable and soft cheeses are used. These cheeses dissolve almost completely in the mass of the sausage and significantly degrade their structure and appearance. The finished products become completely soft and light-colored, while at the same time they present a blurred cross-sectional image in which even the pieces of meat and fat are difficult to distinguish. A final parameter that negatively affects the use of cheeses in sausages is their relatively high price, which significantly increases production costs. For this reason, they are used in limited quantities.

With the present invention it becomes possible to produce country sausages, in which the presence of cheese, despite its relatively limited quantity, is quite evident both visually and in taste. This is solely due to the production process, which includes the production stage of a "cheese curd" with excellent technological properties and a strong taste and structural presence in the finished sausage. After extensive experimental tests, it was found that in order to produce the "curd", we should follow certain procedures, which include:

• The homogenization of cheeses by adding a varying amount of water depending on the type and hardness of the cheese.

• The incorporation of animal gelatin into the mass of mashed cheese with a hot process

• The addition of coagulants and the final processing of shredding and homogenization

The final mass of curd is transferred to the refrigerator, where it cooks and hardens and remains there until use. It is best to use it within 3-4 days after its production.

Homogenization of cheeses

The cheeses undergo an intense shredding with the addition of a certain amount of water to initially acquire a relatively thick structure. This process is carried out on the cutter or a similar machine with the ability to finely slice the cheese (microcut). In some cases they can be first chopped in the meat grinder. After experiments carried out to calculate the amount of water that should be used for this purpose, we concluded that it should be:

• in soft cheeses approximately 15-17% of the weight of the cheese,

• in semi-hard 18-20% and

· in hard 23-25%.

For spreadable cheeses, such as katiki, galotiri and the like, mashing with the addition of water is not required. They can be processed to produce curd as is.

Curd solidification

Adding a quantity of animal gelatin and water to solidify the curd when it cools down to temperatures below 7°C.

For this purpose, predetermined series of experiments were carried out with different amounts of gelatin dissolved in hot water and different amounts of solutions. More specifically, solutions were prepared with 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10.0% porcine gelatin in hot water (θ>94°C). Each of these solutions was added to the water-homogenized cheese mass in three different amounts, 20.0%, 40.0% and 60.0%. In total, three series of experiments were carried out during which 12 different cheese precursors were produced. To prevent the gelatin from setting during its incorporation and cutting with the homogenized cheeses, the latter were heated to 55-60°C. The aim of these experiments was to determine the ideal amount of gelatin for the desired degree of solidification of the mashed cheese mass with the least possible addition of water. Adding 60.0% of the solution containing 5.0% gelatin gave the best result. For 100.0 kg of cheese homogenized with water, 3.0 kg of pure gelatin is required. After cooling, this curd acquires a pleasantly hard structure and keeps the smell and taste of the cheese almost unchanged. This curd is cut in the cutter or mincer into pieces of the desired size and added to the sausage mass in a percentage that can reach up to 20%. It is distinct and has a pleasantly hard and compact consistency when the product is cold. On the contrary, when the sausage is baked or fried and its temperature rises above 60°C, the curd almost liquefies and its structure becomes very soft and unpleasant to chew. .

Resistance of "curd" to heating

To make it possible to maintain the hard structure and consistency of the "curd" during heating, a third series of experiments was carried out, in which, with the use of various coagulants, an attempt is made to stabilize its structure even at high temperatures. For this purpose, the following coagulants were used:

· Alginates with calcium ions

• Methyl cellulose (MC)

• Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)

• Xanthan

• Carrageenan and

· Comi guar.

From the preliminary tests done, it was immediately established that the alginates did not work, possibly due to the presence of a large amount of salt contained in the cheeses. Despite the use of calcium ions the curd was completely fluidized at high temperatures. MC and CMC provided structure, but not as much as desired. The best results regarding the structure of the hot product were given by the use of carrageenan, xanthan and guar gum. It was found by almost all judges during the organoleptic evaluation, that the addition of these substances significantly improved the structure of the baked sausages. The combination of these three components with a predetermined ratio determined after a series of experiments gave the best results. The curd acquired a desirable and stable structure, which it maintained during the baking of the sausage. No liquefaction was observed and thus it stayed within the mass of the product, creating a pleasant chew.

Because in the experiments carried out to determine the type and amount of coagulants and gelatin the process was quite detailed and time-consuming, it was investigated whether the creation and use of a mixture of the above substances in the specific ratio, gave the same results. This would greatly facilitate the users because it would simplify the production processes of the curd, which would require the shredding and homogenization of the cheese using a mixture of substances and hot water. It was indeed found that this was perfectly possible provided that the mixture of ingredients was first dissolved in hot water and the solution was used when its temperature fell below 55°C so as not to "burn" the cheeses (the sugars and their proteins).

Thus, the final production method of the curd included the following stages:

• Mixing the mixture of coagulants and gelatin in hot water at a temperature of 85-95°C until it is completely dissolved and gives a homogeneous mass. Cool it to 55-60°C.

• Homogenization of the cheese in the cutter by gradually adding the above solution under continuous cutting and keeping the temperature of the mass above 45°C

· Transfer the mass to the refrigerator in shallow containers to cool and solidify.

The specific "curd" remained in the refrigerator to be used for the production of village sausages, with the production process, which includes the following stages:

I. Sorting, standardizing the chilled meats (0<5°C), composition of the recipe and cutting them in the meat grinder with a plate, the diameter of the holes of which is 6-8 mm.

II. Slicing the slightly frozen "curd cheese" (θ<-1 °C), in the mincer machine with an 8mm plate.

III. Mixing the pre-cut meats and the "cheese", with the salt, spices, herbs and other permitted additives, in the fermenter with simultaneous optional vacuum application, until the mass acquires consistency and is completely homogenized. Its final temperature should not be higher than 4°C.

After the mixture "sets" and acquires the necessary consistency, it is sent to a filling machine and stored under vacuum in natural cases (guts) of various diameters depending on the final product. It is then taken to the special chambers, where it undergoes a heat treatment and possibly smoking at 78°C. The pasteurization process is stopped when the temperature in the core of the sausage reaches 71-72°C and then the products are immediately cooled by sprinkling drinking water.

The products produced according to the present invention have excellent consistency and texture, clear cut image and external appearance with clearly visible pieces of meat and fat and have excellent organoleptic properties. Their structure is pleasantly cohesive and their texture extremely juicy. The added cheese is distinct, flavorful, and gives a nice chewy feel to the baked or fried sausage. It does not liquefy during heating and therefore does not leave the product but remains stable which is trapped and stabilized as well as the amount of actin dissolved with the help of the salt and (denatured) with the heat. The assurance that they receive sufficient heat treatment integrated into the mass, in the pieces of muscle tissue, and myosin that has been extracted and which is then solidified in their oil is guaranteed for the reason.

Claims (2)

1. Method of production of traditional and country sausages, which is characterized by the incorporation and complete retention in their mass as visible pieces, of cheeses with a "soft structure and consistency", such as spreadable cheeses, feta cheese and soft white brine cheeses, but and semi-hard and hard, without these becoming liquefied during the heating that sausages undergo, both during their production process (pasteurization), and during their cooking before consumption. This is achieved by a new technique, in which the mass of cheeses, using water and functional additives, is homogenized and solidified into a "curd", which is chopped and then mixed with the meat and the other ingredients and additives of the sausage . With this method, it becomes possible to integrate and "distinctly present" even soft cheeses, as well as to avoid the phenomenon of "liquefaction of combination and separation" of hard cheeses during the heat treatment of sausages (pasteurization, baking, frying, etc. .). This method includes the following production process: (a) The preparation of the "curds" which is carried out under heat using 90°C water, pig gelatin, carrageenan, xanthan and guar gum. Each type of cheese used to produce the "cheese curd" is first mashed in the cutter with a certain amount of water depending on its type and forms with the help of mechanical energy a homogeneous mass. To this, pig gelatin is added, dissolved in hot water (>90°C) and immediately after the mixture of coagulants, consisting of carrageenan, xanthan and Tguar gum. . The homogenization process of the "curd" is completed when its temperature drops to 45°C. The "curd" is then placed in special containers in a thin layer and transferred to 2-4°C in the refrigerator to solidify. It is used for the production of village sausages after at least 6 hours. (b) Next comes the production of the "meat mass" of the sausage with pork, beef and/or mutton, pork fat and "curd", with the mince cutting machine and the fermenter and includes the following stages: I. Sorting, standardizing the chilled meats (θ<5°C), weighing, composition of the recipe and cutting them in the meat grinder with a plate, the diameter of the holes of which is 6-8 mm. II. Slicing the slightly frozen "curd cheese" (θ<-1°C), in the meat grinder with a plate, which has a hole diameter of 8mm. III. Mixing the meats, fat and "curd", together with salt, spices and other additives in the kneader, with or without a vacuum, until the mass is completely homogenized and has a consistency. Its final temperature should not be higher than 4°C. (c) This mass is led to filled machines and stored in natural cases (pig or sheep intestines), with the simultaneous application of a vacuum, for the maximum possible removal of entrapped air. (d) The sausages are then taken to the special chambers, where they undergo heat treatment and possibly smoking at 78°C. This process is stopped when the temperature in the core of the sausage reaches 71-72°C. This is followed by their cooling by sprinkling drinking water. 2. The meat products (country sausages), produced according to the method of claim 1.