US 4,313,963 AGranted

Method for tenderizing cut meat portions

AssigneeBeatrice Foods Co.

InventorJoseph Greenspan

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Abstract

There is provided a method for tenderizing cut portions of meat, wherein the portions are slit by passing the portions into a plurality of rotating slitting blades having a plurality of discrete cutting surfaces on each slitting blade along the periphery thereof. A series of closely spaced first cut slits are produced from at least one surface into the said portions. The portions are then sprayed with a tenderizer solution containing a tenderizing phosphate, and the solution penetrates into and is retained in the said first slits. Further slitting of the portions is achieved by passing the portions into a further assembly of the rotating slitting blades and a series of closely spaced further cut slits are placed on the portions. The further slits are close to or in part overlap the first slits and the solution penetrates from or flows from the first slits into the said further slits during the further slitting and subsequent thereto. Immediately thereafter the portions are packaged and fast frozen. The total volume of the first slits is sufficient to retain from 5% to 16% of the solution, and the number of first and further slits is sufficient that solution so penetrates or flows into the further slits from the first slits prior to the freezing step such that the solution is essentially uniformly dispersed in the portions and the portions are essentially uniformly tenderized.

A method for tenderizing cut portions of meat having upper and lower generally planar and parallel surfaces, comprising:

(1) slitting said portions by passing the portions into a plurality of rotating slitting blades having a plurality of discrete acute angle cutting surfaces on each slitting blade along the periphery thereof, wherein a series of closely spaced first cut slits extend from at least one surface into the said portions, and said slits have a length between 1/4 inch and 1 inch and a width of between 0.02 and 0.05 inch;
(2) spraying the said at least one surface, either simultaneously with and/or immediately subsequent to said first slitting step, with a tenderizer solution containing a tenderizing phosphate, wherein the solution penetrates into and is retained in the said first slits;
(3) further slitting the portions, immediately subsequent to said spraying step, by passing the portions into a plurality of rotating slitting blades having a plurality of discrete acute angle cutting surfaces on each slitting blade along the periphery thereof, wherein a series of closely spaced further cut slits extend from the at least one surface into said portions, and said slits have a length between 1/4 inch and 1 inch and a width of between 0.02 and 0.05 inch, wherein the further slits are close to or in part overlap the said first cut slits and the said solution penetrates from or flows from the said first slits into the said further slits during said further slitting and subsequent thereto;
and then
(4) immediately packaging and fast freezing the so processed portions;
wherein the total volume of the first slits is sufficient to retain therein from 5% to 16% of the said solution, and the number of first and further slits is sufficient that solution so penetrates or flows into the said further slits from the first slits prior to the freezing step such that the solution is essentially uniformly dispersed in the portions and the portions are essentially uniformly tenderized.

3 more elements

Abstract

Claims20