Systems and methods for cutting and cooking a substance

A method for cutting and cooking a raw pork skin, the method comprising:

• conveying, via a primary conveying subsystem, a pork skin along a conveyance path, the primary conveying subsystem including a primary conveying substrate and primary driving components, the primary conveying substrate forming a surface on which the pork skin is carried, and the primary driving components moving the primary conveying substrate along the conveyance path, wherein a cooker and a secondary conveying subsystem are positioned along the conveyance path, the cooker including an oven with a heating mechanism and a chamber containing air, the secondary conveying subsystem including a secondary conveying substrate and secondary driving components, wherein a cutter is positioned upstream on the conveyance path from the chamber;
• cutting, via the cutter, the raw pork skin into raw pork skin pieces;
• applying, via a primary pressurized fluid outlet, primary pressurized fluid, the primary pressurized fluid outlet being positioned so that primary pressurized fluid exiting the primary pressurized fluid outlet applies a force to the raw pork skin pieces such that the raw pork skin pieces are released from the cutter;
• applying, via a secondary pressurized fluid outlet, secondary pressurized fluid, the secondary pressurized fluid outlet being positioned above the primary conveying substrate and pointed toward the primary conveying substrate so that the secondary pressurized fluid exiting the secondary pressurized fluid outlet applies force to the raw pork skin pieces to hold the raw pork skin pieces flat to the primary conveying substrate during conveyance along the conveyance path towards the chamber;
• heating, via the heating mechanism, the air within the chamber to provide an environment suitable for dehydrating pieces of the raw pork skin passing through the chamber;
• and
• conveying the raw pork skin pieces for at least a portion of the conveyance path through the chamber, the secondary conveying substrate being positioned adjacent to the primary conveying substrate to contact the raw pork skin pieces on a side of the raw pork skin pieces opposite the primary conveying substrate within the chamber such that the raw pork skin pieces are held flat between the primary conveying substrate and the secondary conveying substrate for at least the portion of the conveyance path through the chamber to maintain a flatness of the raw pork skin pieces between the first conveying subsystem and the second subsystem during dehydration by the cooker as the raw pork skin pieces pass through the chamber between the first conveying subsystem and the second subsystem such that the raw pork skin pieces become dehydrated pork skin pieces.