IE63818B1 - A food product - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for preparing a meat filled pie comprising the steps of:- dicing raw meat, spreading the diced raw meat on a conveyor, sealing the surfaces of the meat by heat treatment, filling the sealed pieces of diced meat into a container, adding a marinade to the container, tenderising the diced meat pieces in the marinade, cooking the tenderised diced meat pieces, preparing a sauce mix, adding the cooked meat pieces to the sauce mix, lining a container with a lower layer of dough filling the container with the meat and sauce mixture, applying a top layer of dough over the filling to form a meat-filled pie, and packaging the container.

Description

The invention relates to a process for preparing an edible meat-filled pie such as a steak and kidney pie.

According to the invention there is provided a process for preparing a meat-filled pie comprising the steps ofs5 dicing raw meat, spreading the diced raw meat on a conveyor, sealing the surfaces of the meat by heat treatment, filling the sealed pieces of diced meat into a container, adding a marinade to the container, tenderising the diced meat pieces in the marinade, cooking the tenderised diced meat pieces, preparing a sauce mix, adding the cooked meat pieces to the sauce mix, lining a container with a lower layer of dough, filling the container with the meat and sauce mixture, applying a top layer of dough over the filling to form a meat-filled pie, and packaging the container.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the surfaces of the meat pieces are sealed by applying steam.

In one arrangement the meat is cooked in the marinade.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the filled containers containing the diced meat and marinade are stacked on a cooking rack and loaded onto a trolley prior to cooking.

Preferably the meat is cooked for a period sufficient to raise the core temperature to at least 80°C.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention after cooking, the meat pieces are separated from the marinade.

Preferably the marinade is used in preparing the sauce.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the sauce is prepared by mixing sauce ingredients, subsequently raising the temperature of the mixture to pasteurise the mixture and subsequently chilling the sauce mixture.

In one embodiment of the invention the top layer is cut from a top dough sheet and the unused dough from the top sheet is used to form the base layer of a following pie.

The invention also provides a filled pie whenever prepared by a process of the invention.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only.

To prepare an edible meat-filled pie such as a steak and kidney pie in accordance with the invention raw meat is first diced through a grid which is between 10 and 30 mm wide and cut to a length of between 10 and 40 mm. Generally the meat is in a frozen block form at the in-feed side of the dicing machine. The meat is carefully prepared by trimming essentially all heavy internal and external fat and removing major gristles.

The diced raw meat is then passed through a screw conveyor which deposits the meat pieces onto a conveyor belt. The diced meat is then spread in an even layer over a conveyor belt and spread out over the belt. The surfaces of the meat are then sealed by heat treatment in a steam tunnel to evenly seal all the surfaces of the diced meat pieces.

Sealed diced meat pieces from the steam tunnel are then loaded into food grade and temperature resistant containers. Approximately three-quarters of the volume of the container is filled with the meat pieces. A broth or marinade is then added to the container and the container is sealed. The containers containing the sealed pieces of meat and marinade are then stacked on a cooking rack and loaded onto a trolley side by side. The arrangement of the containers in side by side relationship on the rack and on the trolley is important to ensure correct air circulation and cooking.

When a cooking rack is full of filled containers the trolley is moved to a holding refrigerated area to allow the marinade to tenderise the meat.

When tenderised the trolley containing the racks of containers containing meat pieces and marinade are then placed in a cooker for a period sufficient to raise the core temperature to at least 80°C.

When cooked, the trolley with the racks of containers is removed and immediately cooled and held in a refrigerated area at a temperature of less than 3°C until required. As required, the containers containing the marinade and cooked meat pieces are broken open and the marinade drained from the meat pieces. The meat pieces are then passed for further processing as will be described in more detail below while the marinade or broth is used as one of the ingredients in making up a sauce mixture.

The sauce is prepared by mixing the sauce ingredients, including the marinade, lowering the temperature of the sauce mixture to below 5°C and subsequently raising the temperature of the mixture to pasteurise the sauce. The sauce mixture is subsequently chilled.

To manufacture a filled meat pie a first bottom layer of dough is filled into a suitably sized container to line the container. The meat and sauce mixture is then filled onto the bottom layer and a second or top dough layer is applied. In a particularly preferred arrangement the dough which forms the top layer is cut from a sheet of dough and the unused dough from the top sheet is recycled and used to form the bottom or base layer of dough for a following pie.

The process of the invention offers substantial advantages over presently available processes. In particular, because of the method of preparation of the meat pieces and sauce the processing is substantially improved and a pie is produced having superior organoleptic properties.

Many variations on the specific embodiment of the invention 5 described will readily be apparent and accordingly the invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in detail.

Claims (11)

1. CT.ATMS

1. A process for preparing a meat-filled pie comprising the steps of:dicing raw meat, 5 spreading the diced raw meat on a conveyor, sealing the surfaces of the meat by heat treatment, filling the sealed pieces of diced meat into a container, adding a marinade to the container, 10 tenderising the diced meat pieces in the marinade, cooking the tenderised diced meat pieces, preparing a sauce mix, adding the cooked meat pieces to the sauce mix, lining a container with a lower layer of dough, filling the container with the meat and sauce mixture, applying a top layer of dough over the filling to form a meat-filled pie, and 5 packaging the container.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of the meat pieces are sealed by applying steam.

3. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the meat is cooked in the marinade. 10

4. A process as claimed in claim 3 wherein the filled containers containing the diced meat and marinade are stacked on a cooking rack and loaded onto a trolley prior to cooking.

5. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the 15 meat is cooked for a period sufficient to raise the core temperature to at least 80°C.

6. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, after cooking, the meat pieces are separated from the marinade.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the marinade is used in preparing the sauce.

8. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sauce is prepared by mixing sauce ingredients, 5 subsequently raising the temperature of the mixture to pasteurise the mixture and subsequently chilling the sauce mixture.

9. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the top layer is cut from a top dough sheet and the unused 10. Dough from the top sheet is used to form the base layer of a following pie.

10. A process substantially as hereinbefore described.

11. A filled pie whenever prepared by a process as claimed in any preceding claim.