Method for making jerky products

A method for the production of meat-based products comprising:

• (a) comminuting at least substantially frozen meat having a moisture content of at least about 50% by weight to obtain at least substantially frozen comminuted meat,
• (b) treating said at least substantially frozen comminuted meat to obtain dough pieces, said treatment consisting essentially of:
• heating said at least substantially frozen comminuted meat to a temperature of at least about 140.degree. F. to denature the protein of the meat, thus forming a heated meat slurry,
• cooling the heated meat slurry to a temperature of about 85.degree. F. to about 100.degree. F.,
• admixing the heated meat slurry with ingredients comprising a cold water soluble starch to obtain a formable dough having a moisture content greater than about 30% by weight, said dough comprising at least about 50% by weight meat, based upon the total weight of the dough,
• sheeting said dough to form a sheeted dough, and
• forming said sheeted dough into pieces at a temperature of from about 70.degree. F. to about 100.degree. F., and then
• baking or drying said pieces in a first stage, and
• drying the pieces in a second stage to obtain a meat-based product having a water activity or relative humidity of less than about 0.85.

A method for the production of meat-based products comprising:

• (a) comminuting at least substantially frozen meat comprising fat and having a moisture content of at least about 50% by weight to obtain at least substantially frozen comminuted meat,
• (b) treating said at least substantially frozen comminuted meat to obtain dough pieces, said treatment consisting essentially of:
• heating said at least substantially frozen comminuted meat to a temperature of at least about 140.degree. F. to denature the protein of the meat, thus forming a heated meat slurry,
• cooling the heated meat slurry to solidify fat melted during the heating of the meat,
• admixing the heated meat slurry with ingredients comprising a cold water soluble starch and a gum to obtain a formable dough having a moisture content greater than about 30% by weight, said dough comprising at least about 50% by weight meat, based upon the total weight of the dough, and
• forming said dough into pieces by rotary molding, and then
• reducing the moisture content of said pieces to less than or equal to about 30% by weight, based upon the weight of said pieces, by continuously conveying said pieces through a continuous oven and/or continuous dryer.