Layered meat emulsion product and method of producing same

A method for producing a meat emulsion product having layered meat-like appearance and texture resembling a chunk of natural meat, which comprises

• formulating a meat mix containing a member selected from the group consisting of meat, meat by-products and mixtures thereof, and water;
• emulsifying said meat mix to form a meat emulsion,
• adding to said meat emulsion a dry proteinaceous material selected from the group consisting of wheat gluten, soy flour, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, egg albumin, nonfat dry milk and mixtures thereof in an amount of from 15% to 35% by weight of the total formulation, with the emulsion having a protein to fat ratio of at least about 1.5:1,
• deaerating said meat emulsion,
• comminuting the meat emulsion under conditions which heat the emulsion to a temperature in the range of from about 104.degree. C. to 118.degree. C.,
• introducing the heated emulsion under pressure, while at a temperature above the boiling point of water, by centrifugal force into an elongated tubular member having a length sufficient that the protein in the meat emulsion coagulates to form a firm emulsion mass prior to discharge from said elongated tubular member, periodically reducing the pressure on the emulsion in said tubular member to below the vapor pressure of the emulsion water to form steam internally in the emulsion in said tubular member,
• periodically injecting steam under pressure into said meat emulsion at a point intermediate the inlet and discharge ends of said member, whereby the steam found internally in the emulsion and that injected into the emulsion facilitate layering of the meat emulsion and to disrupt the meat emulsion into discrete pieces having a plurality of distinct layers bonded together, and
• discharging the layered meat emulsion pieces from said tubular member.