GB2234659A - Method of treating meat - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of treating meat comprising introducing a brine solution into the meat to achieve a weight gain of 8-12%, the brine solution containing salt and papain in specified quantities, massaging the meat so that adjacent pieces adhere, forming the meat into a desired shape and holding the meat in the desired shape up to the time of cooking, such that on being cooked the meat is tender, substantially unitary and in the desired shape.

Description

Method of treating meat and meat produced by the method This invention relates to a method of tenderising and shaping less tender meat so that the outer surfaces of the meat muscle, or individual pieces thereof, are capable of adhering together so that, on cooking, the meat is both tender and unitary.

It has been known for many years that enzymes such as papain, an enzyme obtained from unripe papaws, can be used to make less tender meat tender on cooking. Typically the enzyme is introduced into the meat as an aqueous solution.

When the meat is cooked the enzyme attacks collagen in the meat causing it to break down so that the meat requires less chewing and is consequently more palatable.

It has also been known for many years to massage pieces of meat, for example by tumbling in a drum, so that the meat exudes myasin which forms a sticky layer on the surface of the muscle. This layer causes adjacent pieces of meat to adhere and the process is used for example in the production of hams.

The two processes above mentioned, tenderisation and massaging, have always been thought to be mutually exclusive for papain will attack the myasin layer on cooking and cause an agglomeration of meat pieces to fall apart.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of preparing less tender lean meat comprising the steps of introducing a brine solution into the meat to achieve a weight gain of 8-12%, the brine solution including between 4 and 5 kg common salt and 120-220 ml papain per 140 to 145 kg water; massaging the meat to bring sufficient myasin to the surface of the muscle to allow adjacent pieces of meat to adhere; forming the meat to a desired shape; and holding the meat in said shape until the time of cooking, such that on being cooked the meat is tender, remains substantially unitary and is in substantially the desired shape.

Preferably the meat is held in the desired shape by freezing and may be sliced or otherwise portioned whilst in the frozen state.

Such a method permits less tender meat, for example from the forequarters of a steer, to be given the appearance, taste and qualities of a more expensive cut.

The less tender cuts are rather less costly and require appropriate cooking techniques; for beef it is usual to stew or braise forequarter meat whereas rump or strip loin meats are suitable for grilling and frying. However the less tender cuts usually have the same general appearance as the more tender cuts and moreover have equal or better nutritional value. The tougher cuts may be typically 50-606 of the price of the more tender cuts and the invention thus provides palatable easily cooked meat at a much lower cost than hitherto and in a form which is desired by the public.

A further advantage of the invention is that relatively small high quality meat pieces, for example 140170g (5-60z) steaks, may be produced from traditionally less tender cuts, leaving the larger more tender cuts to be sold in relatively large pieces thus reducing the wastage of tender meat inherent in cutting large joints into smaller pieces to satisfy a particular market demand.

Larger pieces of meat, for example roasting joints, may also b. prepared in this way.

Preferably the brine solution comprises between 1 and 5 kg salt and 120-220 ml papain per 140 to 145 kg water and in a preferred embodiment the brine solution comprises 4.5 kg salt and 180 ml papain per 142 kg water, and has a p.h.

of about 8.

In the preferred embodiment brine is injected into the meat to give a target weight gain of 108.

The meat may be formed and held in a desired shape by stuffing an individual meat piece or several pieces of meat into a former, for example a tubular polythene sleeve of the suitable dimensions.

In a preferred embodiment the meat is allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes immediately after massaging; however this step may form part of the transit process from the massaging to the forming step. In the preferred embodiment the meat is massaged by tumbling in a drum of approximately 1000 litre capacity at about 12 rpm for about 30 minutes.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments described by way of example only.

Beef taken from the fore-end of a steer or heifer is less tender and usually sold for stewing or braising whereas meat from the hind quarters is more tender and usually sold as steak for grilling or frying. The meat pieces from the hind quarter are also larger and thus suitable for cutting into steaks.

A particular embodiment of the invention uses a standard 6 bone chuck which consists of all of the major muscles of the chuck excluding the supra-infra spinatus.

The meat is fresh (not pre-frozen), and is de-boned and defatted to 90% visually lean, the fat remaining having a maximum thickness of no more than 6 mm; no ligamentum nuchae are present and sinew, particularly the subscapuloris sinew, is removed.

The meat is of a standard acceptable for processing and is for example free of disease, discolouration, foreign bodies, cartilage, periosteum, hide and hair, and excessive marbling. Such a piece of meat would typically be 400 mm long, 150 mm wide and about 50 mm thick.

A brine solution is prepared comprising 142 kg water, 4.5 kg common salt and 180 ml of papain. The solution has a p.h. of about 8 and is thoroughly mixed until the frozen enzyme is thawed. The brine solution must not exceed 380c (100of) and is discarded if not used within two hours.

One suitable enzyme is Proten II supplied by Swift Meats of P.O. Box 64, Northampton NN4 OSZ, England.

In an alternative brine solution 1.65 kg Phosphate are added to improve the general cooking qualities of the meat this is not however essential to the invention.

In a further alternative the brine solution is modified by the addition of concentrated essential oils to flavour the meat. Example of such flavours are Pepper, Barbecue and Red Wine. In the preferred brine solutions disclosed above 440 ml of essential oils are appropriate for the non-phosphate mix whereas 445 ml of essential oils are added to the brine mix with phosphate.

The meat pieces are injected with the brine solution by any suitable method to an initial target of 10% increase in weight.

A batch of chuck meat pieces, typically 240-250 kg, is prepared for massaging in a tumbler, brine is added to or drained from the batch to ensure that the target weight is met.

The meat is placed in the tumbler, a rotating stainless steel drum of about 1000 litre capacity, and rotated at 12 rpm for 30 minutes. As mentioned above tumbling brings myasin to the surface of the muscle.

After tumbling the meat is allowed to stand for 2 hours before being filled into polythene sleeves. With chuck meat some degree of orientation is maintained but the meat is deformed to a more even approximately oval crosssection having major dimensions in the X and Y axis of about 120 mm x 80 mm.

After filling the polythene sleeves are frozen to an internal temperature of -18 c by any convenient method.

In this particular example the sleeves are subsequently stripped from the meat and the meat "loaf" sawn laterally into sections approximately 10 mm thick to give steaks of 140-170g (5-60z). The steaks are individually wrapped and packed eight to a pack for sale still frozen.

Each steak usually consists of several meat pieces or one or more pieces having a line of separation where two faces of the muscle have been deformed into abutment.

The housewife buys the steak and keeps it frozen prior to use in accordance with good hygiene practices. In the steak example given, the preferred method of cooking is frying in a hot lightly oiled pan for one minute on each side and then 6-8 minutes depending on the consumer requirement. The cooked steak is tender and succulent and moreover remains substantially in one piece.

Although the invention has been described in relation to manufacture of small steaks, it is equally applicable to the manufacture of larger joints formed from an agglomeration of smaller less tender meat pieces. For example smaller pieces or a large relatively flat piece of meat like the chuck described above may be formed into a round loaf of 100-150 mm diameter and sliced into roasting joints. The invention is also applicable to other meats such as lamb and pork.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A method of preparing less tender lean meat comprising the steps of: a) Introducing a brine solution into the meat to achieve a weight gain of 8-12S, the brine solution comprising between 4 and 5 kg common salt and 150-220 ml papain per 140 to 145 kg water; b) Massaging the meat to bring sufficient myasin to the surface of the muscle to allow adjacent pieces of meat to adhere: c) Forming the meat to a desired shape, and d) Holding the meat in said desired shape up to the time of cooking, such that on being cooked adjacent meat pieces adhere, and the cooked meat is tender, remains substantially unitary and is in substantially the desired shape.

2. The method of claim 1 and further including the intermediate step of: b2) allowing the meat to stand for at least 20 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the meat is held in the desired shape by freezing.

4. The method of any preceding claim wherein steps c and d are performed by stuffing the meat into a polythene sleeve of the desired dimensions.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the massaging step is performed by tumbling the meat in a drum.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the meat is tumbled in a drum of approximately 1000 litre capacity at 12 rpm for approximately 30 minutes.

7. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the brine solution further includes 1.5 to 1.8 kg Phosphate per 140 to 145 kg water.

8. Meat prepared by the process according to any of claims 1-7.

9. The process of preparing tough lean meat substantially as described herein

10. Meat prepared by the process substantially as described herein.