IES62400B2

IES62400B2 - A method for the preparation of a food product

Info

Publication number: IES62400B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Patrick Smyth
Original assignee: Dew Valley Fresh Foods Limited
Priority date: 1994-06-02
Filing date: 1994-06-02
Publication date: 1995-01-25
Also published as: IES940450A2

Abstract

A method for preparing a cooked pork product, which method comprises curing the pork in the presence of a sugar and liquid smoke; and cooking the resulting product using microwave energy so that it has a grilled appearance.

Description

\ '» This invention relates to a method for the preparation of a food product. In particular, it relates to the preparation of a cooked pork product.

Cooked rashers of bacon produced on a commercial scale are generally cooked by grilling so as to give the final product a pleasing appearance. Cooking by microwave energy is much faster and more economical than the methods conventionally used. However, products cooked in this manner do not have a pleasing grilled appearance. However, it has now been found that by modifying the ingredients used during the pork-curing procedure, bacon products cooked using microwave energy may present a pleasing grilled appearance.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for preparing a cooked pork product, which method comprises curing the pork in the presence of a sugar and liquid smoke; and cooking the resulting product using microwave energy, so that it has a grilled appearance.

Preferably, the cured pork is sliced following the curing step and frozen following the cooking step. s b 2 ο η The sugar is preferably present at a concentration ranging from 0.6% to 1% (W/W), more preferably from 0.62 to 0.82 (W/W) and most preferably at a concentration of approximately 0.68% (W/W) of the total 5 product.

The liquid smoke is preferably present at a concentration ranging from 0.15% to 0.4% (W/W) more preferably from.0.2% to 0.3% (W/W) and most preferably 10 at approximately 0.25% (W/W) of the total product.

The ratio of the liquid smoke to sugar used during the curing procedure is preferably from 1:2.0 to 1:3.0 and most preferably 1:1.26.

The sugar may be selected from any reducing sugar, the most preferred sugar being sucrose.

The invention is illustrated in the following Example which is not intended to be limiting.

EXAMPLE A mixture comprising the following ingredients was prepared: Water Salt Sucrose Liquid Smoke Nitrite 130.00 kg 35.00 kg 8.00 kg 3.00 kg 0.20 kg This mixture was added to 1000kg of pork and the combination was mixed in a rotary vessel over a period ' of 16 hours. The resulting product was placed on racks which were heated to a temperature of approximately e 46°C to 56°C. The resulting product was chilled to approximately -5°C and frozen to approximately -10°C before adjusting to a temperature of -6°C to -8°C. The product was then pressed to a uniform shape, sliced and transferred to a conveyer belt which conveyed the product to a microwave cooking chamber and cooked for approximately 1.2 minutes per 100 kW of power.

Normally, cooking by microwave essentially boils a product. However, in this case, the present product, due to the presence of sugar, was cooked by microwave in a manner the result of which was a grilled product. The cooked product was mechanically transferred to a freezer belt where it was frozen and subsequently packed in a conventional manner.

The cooked product had a pleasing grilled appearance and the characteristics of smell and taste which are desirable for cooked bacon.

The invention thus provides a method for preparing a cooked pork or bacon product, whereby the cooking is carried out by microwave energy and the cooked product has a pleasing grilled appearance and the desired characteristics of smell and taste for such a product. This effect is achieved by the presence of a sugar and liquid smoke the grilled appearance being achieved by carmelisation of the sugar during cooking. t

Claims

1. A method for preparing a cooked pork product, which method comprises curing the pork in the presence of a sugar and liquid smoke; and cooking 5 the resulting product using microwave energy so that it has a grilled appearance.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the cured pork is sliced following the curing step and frozen following the cooking step. 10

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the sugar is present at a concentration ranging from 0.6% to 1% (W/W) , more preferably from 0.62 to 0.8,2 (W/W) and most preferably at 0.68% (W/W) of the total product; and the liquid smoke is present at ,a 15 concentration ranging from 0.15% to 0.4% (W/W), preferably from 0.2 to 0.3% (W/W) and. most preferably 0.25% (W/W) of the total product.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the ratio of liquid smoke to sucrose is in the range 1:2.0 to 1:3.0, and most preferably 20 1:1.26.

5. A method according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference t,o and as illustrated in the accompanying Example.