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AssigneeMarlen International, Inc.
InventorsRichard Powers, Adam E. Anderson, Paul Hardenburger
Estimating the term…
A system (50) is provided for the production of elongated comestible products such as hot dogs, without the use of traditional casings. The system (50) includes a circular pattern of arrays (92) of elongated, open-ended, extruded synthetic resin cooking tubes (94, 96) within a rotatable cylindrical heating drum or housing (70). The tube housing (70) and arrays (92) are incrementally rotated and at each stop position certain of the tubes (94, 96) are filled with portions of meat emulsion (590) and alternating plugs (208), while previously filled tubes (94, 96) containing cooked product are unloaded, and other unfilled tubes are internally coated with a lubricant (e.g., a mixture of lecithin and vegetable oil). Energy exchange media such as hot water and/ or steam are used within the housing to continuously cook the emulsion portions within the tubes (94, 96) to the desired extent.
A method of creating and at least partially cooking elongated, comestible products without the use of casings, said method comprising the steps of:
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the step of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated cooking tube, heating the emulsion within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion from the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the step of applying a substance to the surface of the at least partially cooked emulsion after discharge thereof from said cooking tube, in order to assist in skin formation or color development of the at least partially cooked emulsion.
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the steps of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated cooking tube, heating the emulsion within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion from the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the steps of injecting a series of plugs into said tube along with said emulsion, so that the tube has at least one elongated emulsion portion therein, with plugs on opposite ends of and engaging said portion, and applying a substance to the surface of the at least partially cooked emulsion after discharge thereof from said cooking tube, in order to assist in skin formation and/or color development of the at least partially cooked emulsion.
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the step of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated cooking tube, heating the emulsion within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion from the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the step of discharging said partially cooked emulsion by injecting a discharge liquid selected from the group consisting of water and oil into said tube and forcing the at least partially cooked emulsion from the tube.
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the steps of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated cooking tube, heating the emulsion within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion from the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the steps of injecting a series of plugs into said tube along with said emulsion, so that the tube has at least one elongated emulsion portion therein, with plugs on opposite ends of and engaging said portion, and discharging said partially cooked emulsion by injecting a discharge liquid selected from the group consisting of water and oil into said tube and forcing the at least partially cooked emulsion from the tube.
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the step of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated cooking tube, heating the emulsion within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion from the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the step of applying lubricant to the inner surface of the tube prior to said meat-emulsion step.
In a method of creating and at least partially cooking a sausage-type meat product including the step of injecting meat emulsion into an elongated, rectilinear cooking tube presenting a tube longitudinal axis along with a series of elongated plugs each having a plug longitudinal axis at a loading station, so that the tube has a plurality of individual emulsion portions therein with coaxially oriented elongated plugs on opposite ends and engaging each of said portions, heating the emulsion portions within the tube for at least partial cooking thereof, and discharging the at least partially cooked emulsion portions and said elongated plugs from the cooking tube at a discharge station with the longitudinal axes of the plugs in general alignment with the longitudinal axis of the cooking tube, the improvement which comprises the steps of recovering said plugs for re-injection into said tube at said discharge station and maintaining the longitudinal axes of the plugs substantially parallel with said tube longitudinal axis throughout said plug recovery step.
A method of creating and at least partially cooking elongated, comestible products without the use of casings, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.