IE84517B1 - A process and apparatus for forming a kebab block - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT Frozen meat is delivered from a freezer (10) to a coarse mincing machine (l2). The meat is discharged from the coarse mincing machine (12) as coarsely minced meat and delivered into a fine mincing machine (16). After mixing the coarsely minced meat with additional ingredient materials such as seasonings, the mixture is discharged from the fine mincing machine (16) as a fine minced meat mixture. The fine minced meat mixture is delivered to a block forming machine (20) where it is de—aerated and a preset quantity of the de—aerated minced meat mixture is fed into a plastic bag (23) mounted at an outlet (22) of the block forming machine (20) to form a generally cylindrical block of a desired weight within the bag (23). After closing the bag (23) a tubular core (26) is inserted axially through the block (25) such that opposite ends of the core (26) project outwardly of the block (25). The block is then frozen in a freezer (30).

Description

A process and apparatus for forming a kebab block This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for forming a minced meat block, in particular a minced meat block for mounting on a spit in a cooker for cooking the meat for use in a doner kebab in restaurants and the like.

In Patent Publication No. GB 2251365 we have disclosed a method and apparatus for forming a minced meat block for use in the preparation of a kebab. Minced meat is placed in layers in a mould to form a generally cylindrical block about a tubular core. Within the mould the block of minced meat is compressed to take the mould shape and to expel entrained air. The minced meat block is frozen within the mould after which the frozen minced meat block is removed from the mould. A disadvantage of this method is the fact that it involves a considerable amount of handling of the minced meat which is undesirable from an efficiency and also from a in US Patent No. 4648153 an apparatus is disclosed for packing and forming ground beef. The meat is ground and mixed with seasoning hygiene point of view. and then the meat is forced into a conical mould, an inner surface of which is lined with a plastic liner, to form a compressed meat block. The meat block is then removed from the mould and frozen.

The present invention is directed towards providing an improved process and apparatus for manufacturing a minced meat block for use in the preparation of a kebab.

According to the invention there is provided a process for forming a kebab block, including: coarsely mincing a raw meat ingredient material, blending the coarsely minced raw meat with additional ingredient materials which include permitted preservatives and seasonings to form a coarse minced meat mixture, finely mincing the coarse minced meat mixture to form a fine minced meat mixture, de-aerating the fine minced meat mixture, delivering a preset quantity of the de-aerated fine minced meat mixture into a bag to form a cylindrical kebab block of the raw fine minced meat mixture encased in the bag, inserting an associated tubular core through the block along a central longitudinal axis of the block such that opposite ends of the core project outwardly of the block, and freezing the block.

In another embodiment the raw meat is in a frozen state when it is coarsely minced.

In a further embodiment the process includes delivering the raw meat for coarse mincing at a temperature in the range -4° C to -1° C.

In another embodiment the process includes the step of maintaining the temperature of the meat below 5°C throughout the process.

Ideally the raw meat has a visual lean content in the range 70% -85%.

In another embodiment the process includes inserting the tubular core into the kebab block by mounting the kebab block on a support, centring the kebab block on the support, then advancing a tubular core through the block by rarn means.

In another aspect the invention provides a kebab comprising meat sliced from the kebab block. Conveniently the kebab may be formed by mounting the kebab block on a spit or skewer, rotating the kebab block on the skewer in front of a heat source, *' 84530 cooking an outer layer of the kebab block at a preset temperature for a selected time period, slicing away portion of the cooked outer layer of the kebab block and forming a kebab with the cooked portion of the kebab block.

In another aspect the invention provides apparatus for manufacturing a kebab block, the apparatus including: a coarse mincing machine having an inlet for reception of raw meat, a perforated plate at an outlet of the coarse mincing machine and means for forcing the raw meat through the plate at the outlet for coarsely mincing the meat, a fine mincing machine having an inlet hopper for reception of the coarsely minced raw meat and the additional ingredient materials with a mixer for blending the ingredient materials delivered to the hopper to form the coarse minced meat mixture, and means for delivering the coarse minced meat mixture from the hopper through a perforated plate at an outlet of the fine mincing machine for finely mincing said material to form the fine minced meat mixture, a block forming machine having means for de-aerating the fine minced meat mixture and means for discharging a preset quantity of the de-aerated meat mixture through a discharge outlet for collection in an associated bag mounted at the outlet to form a minced meat block encased in said bag, and a freezer for freezing the minced meat block.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which schematically illustrates the process and apparatus of the invention.

Frozen raw meat is stored in a freezer 10, at a temperature typically in the range -4° C to -1° C. The raw meat is typically lamb or mutton having a visual lean content in the range 70% - 85% and most preferably about 80-85%.

A quantity of the frozen raw meat is delivered from the freezer 10 to a coarse mincing machine 12. The coarse mincing machine 12 has an inlet hopper 13 for reception of the frozen meat. The inlet hopper 13 directs the frozen raw meat to a screw 14 which forces the frozen raw meat through a perforated plate 15 at an outlet of the coarse mincing machine 12 for coarsely mincing the frozen raw meat.

The coarsely minced raw meat is then delivered to a fine mincing machine 16. The fine mincing machine 16 has an inlet hopper 17 for reception of the coarsely minced meat. Additional ingredient materials such as permitted preservatives, seasonings and water in the required quantities are also delivered into the inlet hopper 17 of the fine mincing machine 16 together with the coarsely minced raw meat. A blending screw in the hopper 17 is operable for blending all the ingredient materials together to form a coarse minced meat mixture.

This coarse minced meat mixture is then delivered by the hopper 17 to a screw 18 which forces the coarse minced meat mixture through a perforated plate 19 at an outlet of the fine mincing machine 16 to form a finely minced meat mixture.

The finely minced meat mixture is delivered to a block forming machine 20 having an inlet hopper 21 for reception of the finely minced meat mixture. This hopper 21 delivers the finely minced meat mixture to a de-aerator which evacuates air from the finely minced meat mixture.

The bagging machine 20 is operable to discharge a preset quantity, for example 5kg, 10kg etc as desired, of the de-aerated finely minced meat mixture through a discharge pipe 22 into a clear plastic bag 23. A mouth 24 of the bag is slipped over the pipe 22 and held about the pipe 22 as the fine minced meat mixture is extruded through the pipe 22 into the bag 23 filling the bag from the inner end of the bag 23 outwards. When the measured amount of fine minced meat mixture has been discharged into the bag 23 the open end of the bag 23 is then sealed to retain a generally cylindrical block 25 of fine minced meat mixture within the bag 23.

The block 25 is then delivered to a coring station at which an associated tubular core 26 is inserted through a central longitudinal axis of the block 25 such that opposite ends 27, 28 of the core project outwardly of the block 25. The core 26 may be manually inserted through the block 25. Alternatively, and preferably, the core 26 is inserted through the block by means of a ram, the block 25 and core 26 being centred on a support and then the ram being operable to advance the core 26 through the block 25.

Immediately after insertion of the core 26 the block 25 is then frozen and preferably is frozen rapidly in a blast freezer 30 or the like.

In use, a spit can be inserted through the core 26 and the block 25 can then be mounted in a cooker for cooking the block 25. Cooked meat on an exterior of the block 25 is cut away in slices in the usual fashion for forming a kebab product in a restaurant or the like.

It will be appreciated that the process and apparatus of the invention lends itself to efficient mass production of the minced meat blocks. Further, advantageously from a hygienic point of view there is no handling of the raw meat. Also the temperature of the meat throughout the process is very low, typically not rising above 3° C and this only for a short time before freezing the formed blocks of minced meat.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. A process for forming a kebab block, including: coarsely mincing a raw meat ingredient material, blending the coarsely minced raw meat with additional ingredient materials which include permitted preservatives and seasonings to form a coarse minced meat mixture, finely mincing the coarse minced meat mixture to form a fine minced meat mixture, de-aerating the fine minced meat mixture, delivering a preset quantity of the de-aerated fine minced meat mixture into a bag to form a cylindrical kebab block of the raw fine minced meat mixture encased in the bag. inserting an associated tubular core through the block along a central longitudinal axis of the block such that opposite ends of the core project outwardly of the block, and freezing the block.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the raw meat is in a frozen state when it is coarsely minced.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein the process includes delivering the raw meat for coarse mincing at a temperature in the range -4° C to -1° C

4. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the process includes the step of maintaining the temperature of the meat below 5° C throughout the process.

5. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the raw meat has a visual lean content in the range 70%-85%.

6. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the process includes inserting the tubular core into the kebab block by mounting the kebab block on a support, centring the kebab block on the support, then advancing a tubular core through the block by ram means.

7. A process for forming a kebab block substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. A kebab block whenever produced by a process as claimed in any preceding claim.

9. A kebab comprising meat sliced from the kebab block as claimed in claim 8 when said kebab block is cooked.

10. A kebab as claimed in claim 9, said kebab being formed by mounting the kebab block on a skewer, rotating the kebab block on the skewer in front of heat source, cooking an outer layer of the kebab block at a preset temperature for a selected time period, slicing away portion of the cooked outer layer of the kebab block and forming a kebab with said sliced cooked portion of the kebab block.

11. Apparatus for manufacturing a kebab block by means of the process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, the apparatus including: a coarse mincing machine having an inlet for reception of raw meat, a perforated plate at an outlet of the coarse mincing machine and means for forcing the raw meat through the plate at the outlet for coarsely mincing the meat, a fine mincing machine having an inlet hopper for reception of the coarsely minced raw meat and the additional ingredient materials with a mixer for blending the ingredient materials delivered to the hopper to form the coarse minced meat mixture, and means for delivering the coarse minced meat mixture from the hopper through a perforated plate at an outlet of the fine mincing machine for finely mincing said material to form the fine minced meat mixture, a block forming machine having means for de-aerating the fine minced meat mixture and means for discharging a preset quantity of the de-aerated meat mixture through a discharge outlet for collection in an associated bag mounted at the outlet to form a minced meat block encased in said bag, and a freezer for freezing the minced meat block.

12. Apparatus for manufacturing a kebab block according to the process of any of claims 1 to 7 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.