Method and apparatus for production of elongated meat products without casings

A method of creating and at least partially cooking elongated, comestible products without the use of casings, said method comprising the steps of:

• loading comestible material into a plurality of separate, individual cooking tubes at a material loading station, each of said plurality of tubes presenting a respective longitudinal axis and first and second opposed ends,
• said tubes extending through an enclosed, shiftable housing, with the interiors of the tubes being out of communication with said housing,
• said loading step comprising the steps of shifting the tubes in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal axes thereof into said loading station and loading the tubes therein with comestible material and a series of plugs so that the tubes have individual portions of said comestible material therein with plugs on opposite ends and engaging each of said portions;
• at least partially cooking said comestible material within said loaded tubes;
• shifting said loaded tubes in a second direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the cooking tubes to a discharge station, and discharging said at least partially cooked comestible material from the tubes, said discharging step comprising the step of shifting said plugs and individual portions along the lengths of said tubes into said discharge station.