Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Confining – conforming or molding support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-27
2001-02-27
Brouillette, Gabrielle (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Confining, conforming or molding support
C099S347000, C099S419000, C099S446000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192792
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cooking reduced fat poultry and meat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a poultry and meat cooking apparatus having a collecting pan and a vertical steaming tube upon which the poultry or meat is supported in an upright position during cooking. Liquid seasonings, such as beer or wine, are placed into the steaming tube prior to cooking. During cooking, the fatty juices in the poultry or meat are secreted out of and away from the poultry or meat because of its upright position and are collected in the collecting pan. The liquid seasonings in the steaming tube are vaporized and enter the poultry or meat to replace the loss of the fatty juices and thereby maintain the moistness of the poultry or meat while adding flavor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Legend has it that hobos who were lucky enough to come across a whole chicken devised a way to cook the whole chicken over a camp fire using a half-full can of beer. The beer can was placed in the hot coals of a camp fire and the internal cavity of the dressed whole chicken was inserted over the beer can. The beer can supported the chicken in an upright position over the coals while it cooked. The steam created by the boiling beer, which poached the chicken from within, kept the chicken moist and added flavor. Using this age old practice, various poultry cookers have been developed with a vertical support element containing a reservoir for liquid seasonings, such as beer and wine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,602 discloses such a vertical roasting apparatus for poultry or meat. The apparatus includes a shallow roasting pan, a cantilevered clip member and a vertical, hollow glass support cone. The glass support cone contains a reservoir in which liquids, such as water, wine or other flavoring agents are placed. The poultry to be cooked is placed vertically on the glass support cone. During cooking, the liquid in the reservoir steams and poaches the poultry from the inside while fat from the poultry drips into the roasting pan. In an alternative embodiment, the roasting pan has a bell shaped opening which supports the glass support cone.
The roasting apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,602 suffers from several drawbacks. For example, the use of separate, detachable components which are intricate in design makes the apparatus costly to manufacture. Also, the detachable components can be lost or destroyed thereby rendering the apparatus ineffective. Other vertical poultry cookers having these same or similar disadvantages are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,821,904 and 5,893,320.
The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention overcomes the drawbacks associated with prior poultry roasters by providing an integrated cooking apparatus which is less costly to manufacture and which contains no detachable parts that may be lost or destroyed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved poultry and meat cooking apparatus with no detachable components. The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention has a collecting pan with a bottom plate and a perpendicular sidewall extending around the outer circumference thereof. The bottom plate and sidewall create an area of sufficient size and volume to collect the fatty juices secreted by the poultry when it is cooked. At least one cylindrical steaming tube is centrally positioned on the bottom plate and extends perpendicular thereto. The steaming tube has a proximal end which is permanently fixed to the bottom plate and a distal end which has an opening adapted to receive a liquid seasoning. The steaming tube has an outer surface capable of supporting the poultry in a vertical, upright position during cooking and an inner surface that forms a well for the placement of the liquid seasoning.
Because the poultry is cooked in a vertical, upright position, the fatty juices from the poultry drip into the collecting pan thus ensuring that the poultry is not cooked in its own fat. The rendering of the fatty juices from the poultry makes the cooked poultry substantially fat-free when compared to poultry that is cooked in its own fat drippings.
Given the loss of fatty juices, to ensure that the cooked poultry is moist and flavorful, liquid seasoning is placed in the steaming tube prior to inserting the poultry there over. While the poultry is cooking, the heat from the cooking element (e.g. stove, campfire, grill) also causes the liquid seasoning to vaporize or turn into steam which then penetrates into the internal cavity of the poultry adding moisture and flavor thereto. Additionally, the steam poaches the poultry and thus decreases the overall cooking time.
The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention may be made of heat conductive material such as metal. Where the poultry and meat cooking apparatus is metal, the improved integrated design is achieved by welding the steaming tube to the bottom plate of the collecting pan thereby permanently fixing the two components together to form a liquid tight well which holds the liquid seasoning. In another embodiment of the present invention, the proximal end of the steaming tube is sealed with an end cap to form the liquid tight well prior to its fixation to the bottom plate. To permanently fix the steaming tube to the bottom plate, a small hole is made in the center of the bottom plate. The steaming tube is then centrally positioned on the opening of the bottom plate and from the underside of the bottom plate, a plug is welded in the opening which permanently fixes the steaming tube to the bottom plate.
The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention may also have one or more vertical spikes each adapted to receive a vegetable such as a potato or corn which is then cooked together with the poultry.
The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention may also have two or more steaming tubes centrally positioned about the bottom plate of the collecting pan.
The poultry and meat cooking apparatus of the present invention may also be used to cook other meat besides poultry, as for example, a roast.
The present invention also provides an improved method of cooking poultry or meat using the aforesaid poultry and meat cooking apparatus.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2821904 (1958-02-01), Arcabosso
patent: 3392665 (1968-07-01), Harnest
patent: 3713378 (1973-01-01), West
patent: 4027583 (1977-06-01), Spanek
patent: 4450759 (1984-05-01), Steibel
patent: 4558197 (1985-12-01), Wyatt
patent: 4633773 (1987-01-01), Jay
patent: 4709626 (1987-12-01), Hamlyn
patent: 4873922 (1989-10-01), Umholtz
patent: 5081916 (1992-01-01), Kuhling
patent: 5106642 (1992-04-01), Ciofalo
patent: 5301602 (1994-04-01), Ryczek
patent: 5893320 (1999-04-01), Demaree
Printed Web Site of Texas Two Step Chicken Cooker http://www.texas2step.com/instruct/index/htm Accessed on May 20, 1999.
Printed Web Site of Tipsy Chicken Cooker http://www.tipsychicken.com/ Accessed on Jul. 27, 1999.
Brouillette Gabrielle
Domingue & Waddell PLC
Mai Hao
LandOfFree
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