Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food... – Heating by electromagnetic wave
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-04-10
Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food...
Heating by electromagnetic wave
C426S264000, C426S281000, C426S641000, C426S645000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06214393
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to curing and processing pork bellies to produce bacon and, in particular, to a novel method of processing pork bellies into partially cooked or par-cooked bacon without need of smokehouse treatment.
2. Background of the Invention
The term “bacon” broadly defines a category of cured and processed pork bellies. Most commonly, pork bellies are cured and processed into strip form bacon or circular form. The weight and yield of bacon is precisely defined by federal regulation. For example, for cured pork bellies to be labelled as “uncooked” bacon, the cured pork bellies must have a weight not exceeding the weight of uncured pork bellies. Similarly, for cured pork bellies to be labelled as “cooked” or “precooked” bacon, the cured pork bellies must have a yield not more than 40% the weight of uncured pork bellies. That is, 60% shrinkage from the initial weight of the pork belly, also known as the “green weight,” is required.
Frequently, however, commercial users such as restaurants require partial cooked or “par-cooked” bacon. This allows the user to complete cooking of the bacon to achieve desired texture, taste and mouth-feel. Par-cooked bacon is generally defined as cured pork bellies having a yield greater than
40
% of the weight of uncured pork bellies.
The traditional process of curing pork bellies to create a bacon product entails the infusion of a dry cure or liquid pickle solution into the pork bellies. Infusion of the pickle solution creates an infusion weight that exceeds green weight. Depending on manufacturing capabilities and customer preference, infusion weight may be anywhere from 105% to 115% of green weight. To meet the regulatory product definitions of either uncooked, par-cooked or cooked bacon, a degree of weight loss must occur equal to or greater than the added weight of the injected pickle solution, i.e. the finished weight must be equal to or less than the meat portion prior to the injection of the pickle solution. Hence, to obtain the necessary weight reduction to meet the regulatory product definitions for bacon, the prior art has subjected the infused pork bellies to a prolonged low temperature cook cycle.
Historically, this slow cooking took place in smokehouses which achieved the necessary weight reduction and also imparted a smoke flavor characteristic of bacon. Modem techniques employ cooking ovens which heat the product to a core temperature of 115°-140° F. during a 4 to 5 hour cook cycle. This slow, low temperature heating produces a 10%-15% loss of injected weight without reaching temperatures to par-cook the pork bellies. The “smokehouse” treatment cooks-off the liquid portion of the pickle solution leaving behind the seasoning carried in the liquid thus curing the pork bellies and imparting the characteristic bacon taste. After the smokehouse treatment, the cured pork bellies are substantially fluid free.
Because of the use of modem slow cooking ovens, the smoke flavor is now produced in different ways. For circular bacon, created by two individual pork bellies cold formed together and encased within a casing, a smoke flavoring agent is added to the pickle solution. With strip bacon, the entire pork belly may also be subject to an atomized spray of smoke flavoring agent within the cooking chamber of the oven.
For fresh bacon, the “smokehouse” treatment causes adequate weight reduction to return the cured pork belly to green weight and therefore within the regulatory product definition for fresh bacon. After the smokehouse treatment, cured pork bellies intended to be sold as fresh bacon are weighed to assure the necessary loss of 10% weight from infused weight. Next, the internal temperatures of the cured pork bellies are chilled from 115°-140° F. to 20°-30° F. to facilitate slicing. The product is sliced and then packaged.
However, for par-cooked bacon, additional weight reduction is necessary to achieve shrinkage greater than
60
% from green weight to bring the product within the definition for “par-cooked” bacon. After completion of the smokehouse treatment, cured pork bellies intended to be sold as cooked are weighed to assure loss of at least 10% weight from infused weight. The internal temperatures of the cured pork bellies are chilled from about 140° F. to 30° F. Again, such chilling is done to facilitate slicing. The bellies are sliced and then can be further cooked, typically in microwave ovens for about 1½ to 2 minutes depending on microwave amperage, conveyor belt speed through the microwave ovens to greater than 60% shrinkage from green weight.
Hence, curing pork bellies intended as “uncooked” bacon uses single step cooking employing solely the smokehouse treatment while cured pork bellies intended as “par-cooked” bacon uses a two step cooking employing both smokehouse treatment and a second cooking step. The prior art teaches that smokehouse treatment was necessary for curing pork bellies whether they were intended to be sold as fresh or par-cooked bacon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,756 to Olander et al. suggests a method of eliminating smokehouse treatment of pork bellies. However, this method requires a lengthy step of holding the pork belly injected with pickle solution for 32 to 42 hours at temperatures of 40 to 45°. Olander teaches that such holding of the injected pork belly is necessary to achieve adequate dispersal of the pickle solution throughout the pork belly. Such a step greatly increases the costs of producing bacon even though smokehouse treatment has been eliminated.
It is apparent from the above that prior art methods are both time and energy intensive and contribute greatly to the cost of producing bacon. But with the market for par-cooked bacon product gaining in consumer popularity, prior to the development of the present invention, a need existed for methods to cure and process pork bellies into par-cooked bacon by reducing the costs and time associated with a two step cooking cycle and particularly with the smokehouse treatment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a novel method of curing and processing pork bellies into par-cooked bacon has been developed that eliminates both smokehouse treatment with a significant reduction in processing time and cost. Essentially, the method of the present invention employs a single cooking step that both par-cooks a pork belly infused with a pickle solution, including a smoke flavoring agent, and achieves the necessary weight reduction to meet the definition for par-cooked bacon. The method of the present invention may be employed for either strip form or circular form bacon.
Generally, the methods of the present invention follow traditional curing methods by infusing the pork bellies with pickle solution to 105%-115% of green weight. But instead of then subjecting the infused pork bellies to smokehouse treatment to achieve at least a 10% weight reduction, the methods of the present invention eliminate smokehouse treatment. In complete deviation from the prior art, the infused pork bellies are rapidly chilled to temperatures below those commonly used to facilitate slicing. Specifically, the pickle solution infused pork bellies are chilled to between 22° F. and 25° F. In either strip form or circular form, the reduced temperatures render the pickle solution within the pork bellies into a semi-solid. This retains pickle solution within the pork bellies, preserves the compositional integrity of the product, and facilitates handling of individual pork belly slices prior to cooking. Such reduced chilling temperatures also have the effect of cold setting the individual pork bellies that comprise circular form bacon. Reduced temperature chilling of the pickle solution infused pork bellies also permits thinner slicing of product.
Further, even though the methods of the present invention eliminate smokehouse treatment and employ only a slightly longer single step cooking resulting in a more than 60% shrinkage from infused weight results sufficient to meet the regulatory definition for par
Afman Brent J.
Thrasher Kent
Corbin Arthur L.
OSI Industries, Inc.
Wallenstein & Wagner Ltd.
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