Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02457068 2004-02-09
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a convenient sandwich that consist of a substrate of
high protein
material and a coating composition imitating ban or bread which permits the
sandwich to
be reheated before serving in the microwave oven, cut horizontally with a
knife, filled up
manually with toppings like onion, tomato, lettuce and/or condiments like
mayonnaise,
sour cream or other commonly used condiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART.
Different restaurants and retail grocery stores offer wide range of food
products that are
designed to satisfy basic nutritional needs of people that do not have time to
prepare their own breakfast, lunch or dinner. The segment of the industry
called fast food
industry is supplying such ready meals or sandwiches in multiple public
outlets.
Typically a sandwich created in such outlets comprises a bun, bread or other
edible,
manually prepared wrapping that is separated by knife, additionally utilizing
devices like
bagel cutter, then a flat meat portion, like grilled beef, pork or chicken
patty is inserted
between top and bottom part of a bun or bread. The meat portion is either a
muscle part
or it is ground and formed meat. Additionally, toppings are put on top of the
meat
portion. Slices of tomato, onion rings, lettuce, slice of cheese, bacon are
placed at the
bottom and/or on top of meat portion and covered with mayonnaise, sauces, salt
and
spices. Top part of a bun is placed on the bottom part and the sandwich is
served. Other
commercially available and homemade sandwiches are created by cutting
horizontally
bagels and spreading butter or cream cheese on the exposed surface. Bagels are
commonly hard rolls, which are shaped like a donut i.e. cylindrical
conformation with a
hole in the center. They are made of raised dough in a process, which includes
simmering
in boiling water, which is followed by baking. The plain bagel has a glazed
browned hard
exterior over a firm white interior.
The disadvantage of this type of popular sandwich is that its preparation
requires
considerable time and excessive manual labor. The components of such
sandwiches need
to be purchased from multiple sources and are manufact<ued by various food
processing
companies that utilize considerable amount of energy, labor in the
manufacturing process
and transfer considerable cost throughout the distribution channels. These
factors
increase the total cost of final product i.e. sandwiches as all the components
must be
purchased from different sources, transported, stored and assembled into the
final product
on site, at the restaurant counter.
Known are hamburger products comprising two slices of bread having inserted a
meat
patty and a container, the container disposed on the top surface of the
hamburger meat
adapted to house a salad and structured to contain a concave configuration
disposed at the
bottom surface having circular edge portion for causing the container to
tightly adhere to
the meat product, described in the U.S. Patent No.4,765,998. Another example
of a novel
sandwich product is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,189 where a food
product such
as a sandwich wherein a bun is split at its sides and bottom end to form a
pocket and
CA 02457068 2004-02-09
garnished filler made of edibles is inserted into the pocket The fillers often
cons ist of a
garnish in the form of lettuce, a meat product or ho~dogs, and further garnish
or
appetizer in the form of pickle slices. However, since the garnish is
assembled together
with the hot meat product recently cooked, the fresh lettuce and cold pickle
in the pocket
of this patent is converted to a warm salad. Furthermore, it is still
difficult to insert fillers
in all quantities into pockets described in this patent. Another example of an
attempt to
create a convenient sandwich is in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,545 wherein a
method is
described for inserting one foodstuff; such as sandwich fixings, into a
section foodstuff,
such as a bread bun, which includes forming a cavity in the second foodstuff.
The
disadvantage of this type of sandwich is that its preparation requires complex
mechanical
device and the final look of the sandwich is not similar to a traditional
sandwich.
The international patent application WO 94/09644 describes a sandwich and a
method for
producing it in which two bread slices and a sandwich filling layer are
connected by
means of an edible glue.1n addition, this arrangement can be compressed using
roller
elements so that the filling layer is pressed into the bread slices. Although
this results in a
sandwich, which holds together securely, the production process is complicated
because
of the application of glue. Moreover, as before some of the filling layer can
reach the
outside and can possibly soften the outside of the sandwich or make a plate or
a serviette
necessary for its consump tion.
Some efforts have been directed towards improving sandwiches, such as by
sealing the
contents of the sandwich in the bread, and providing baked shells, examples of
which
may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,596. It is believed that the baked shells
lack
popularity due to the large amount of crust, both on the outside and inside,
that is
produced. In addition, it is believed that sealing sandwich contents in the
bread is only
feasible for particular types of sandwich fixings, which prevent moisture finm
reaching
the bread, such as peanut butter. Despite these efforts, the vast majority of
sandwiches are
produce, both at home and commercially, with the traditional contents
"sandwiched"
between two slices of bread.
Other food items have been developed, which are similar in many respects to
sandwiches,
and which may have been developed to address the drawbacks of typical
sandwiches. For
example, pocket-type food items have a layer of dough wrapped about a meat
substance
and backed or cooked. Some examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,622,742;
5,780,082;
and 4,888,192. It is believed that such types of food are limited to baked or
cooked food,
and are ill suited for many sandwiches, such as cold cuts.1n addition, it is
believed that
such pocket-type food items are unsuitable for typical sandwiches because the
outer,
dough layer has a crust consistency, and lacks a bread-like consistency.
In these respects, the convenient sandwich according to the present invention
substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior
art, and in
so doing provides a sandwich that can be prepared quickly and easy, saving
time and
reducing the mam>facturing, distribution and preparation cost.
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OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a sandwich
with
traditional texture and consistency, but without traditional messiness, high
cost of
components, excessive labor involved in preparation and serving. In addition,
it has been
recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a method for making such
sandwich.
In addition, it has been recognized to develop a healthy, high protein formula
for the
sandwich substrate and a method of easy, convenient and quick preparation of
such
sandwich in the fast food restaurants and at home.
The invention provides a sandwich that consist of a substrate of high protein
material like
cooked muscle meat, meat emulsion or ~ plant protein mixed with spices having
a
an oval, round or square shape of a hamburger, shape of a cylinder or a
cylindrical ring.
The substrate portion is surrounded by a cover created of carbohydrate
materials like
bread crumbs, flour and having a shape of the said substrate and a
substantially
continuous wall forming an integral shell and cavity that embraces and
adhering to the
aforementioned substrate.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the sandwich is a
fully cooked
foodstuff that is frozen and stored in a freezer and defrosted in a microwave
before final
preparation. After a short time higlrenergy uniform microwave defrosting to a
room
temperature, the sandwich is cut across horizontally with a knife or is cut
after being
placed in a bagel cutter device and the symmetrical top and bottom portions
are
separated.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, both top and bottom parts
of the
sandwich are symmetrical and maintain the same conforn~ation and consistence
after
separation. Both parts consist of outer cnrst that visually and by texture
imitate a bun or
bread and a substrate adhering to the crust. Final preparation of the sandwich
before
serving is accomplished by placing the condiments, depending on the
preference, slices
of tomato, onion, red or green pepper, slices of cheese or bacon etc. on top
of the bottom
part of the sandwich. In addition, the condiments are covered with mayonnaise,
sauces,
spices etc. and the top part of the sandwich is placed on top of the
condiments and
manually adjusted in order to close the sandwich.
I accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the finished and
ready to serve
sandwich consist of I ) bottom part of crust and substrate 2) layers of
condiments, sauces
and spices 3) top part of crust and substrate.
I accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the formulation of
the substrate
is done using high protein animal and plant origin materials, allowing to
prepare substrate
mixture that develops an advantageous texture after cooking, juiciness and
palatability of
the finished substrate along with healthy for humans, high protein, low
carbohydrate and
low fat characteristics.
CA 02457068 2004-02-09
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the
detailed
description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, which
together illustrate by way of example, the features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of manufacturing steps illustrating die
production method
of convenient sandwich.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustiatixig the method of final px~aration of a
convenient
bagel sandwich.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the method of final preparation of a
convenient
sandwich.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENTS
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the
invention,
reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illus~ated in the
drawings,
and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless
be
understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended. Any
alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated
herein, and any
additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated
herein, which
would our to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this
disclosure, are
to be considered within the scope of the invention.
The exemplary formula used to manufactxu~e the healthy and convenient sandwich
and
detailed description of ingredients and their proportions is presented in
Table 1.
A method of production illustrated in the FIG. 1. The first manufacturing step
is the
preparation of the substrate. Meat component is cut in a cutter or grinder (1)
into smaller
pieces and mixed in the mixer (2) with salt, spices, and marinades. Other
ingredients that
may be used are bacon chips, cheese etc. The preferred cutting size and shape
of the meat
pieces may vary between 2 mm and 25 mm, depending on the targeted texture of
the
cooked substrate and quality of the raw materials used. The species origin of
meat may be
poultry, pork, beef and mutton. In another embodiment, the substrate part is
created from
norrmeat ingredients like ground vegetables, soy protein, spices and various
edible
additives. In order to create portions of various preferred shapes, the
substrate material
must obtain xheological features of a visco-plastic body allowing easy
forming. The
temperature of the substrate mix must be maintained between 29°F (-
1.7°C) and 40 ° F (-
4.4 C) to allow good forming and maintaining the shape. The unifom~ly mixed
substrate
part is formed under pressure of 100 to 150 psi in a press or forming machine
(3) into an
oval, round or square shape of a hamburger, shape of a cylinder or a
cylindrical ring.1n
one embodiment, the substrate has a diameter of up 5 inches and thickness of
up to 2
inches and weigh up to 5 oz (141.8 grams). In another alternative shape
embodiment, the
formed substrate has a cyli~ical hole of 1 inch diameter that is created by a
circular
CA 02457068 2004-02-09
knife or pressure piston cutter (4). The substrate weight in this conformation
is 4.3 Oz.
( 123 grams). Such formed substrate is passed on a conveyor through the
machine system
that allows covering the subshxte with a cxust imitating bun or bread. An
exemplary
formula of a preferred embodiment is presented in table 1. In one embodiment,
the fizst
machine (5) disperse fine flour commercially named pre-dust that covers the
whole
surface of the substrate portion. The second machine (6) applies a batter that
is composed
of mix4are of water, flour, spices and other binding additives to the dusted
surface of the
substrate portions. The third machine (7) disperses breadcrumbs or sourdough
breeder
crumbs over the battered substrate's surface.
The set of one or more machines used commercially to create a breaded shell
around a
product e.g. set of Stein~ machines represent flow-through system that can be
applied to
develop a sandwich according to the present invention. Number of coating
layers needed
to achieve appropriate visual and composition of each layer and number of
passing
through the machines determines palatable texture. The proportion of weight of
the
breading cover to the weight of an uncooked sandwich is commercially called a
breading
pick-up.1n this invention the breading pick-up is critical to develop
appropriate visual
effect and to create attractive shell around the substrate that will imitate
bread or bun in
the finished sandwich In one embodiment, the most preferred overall pick-up
for all
three components of the shell is 47.4% for a cylindrical substrate weighing 5
oz the pick-
up for layers of pre-dust, batter and bread crumbs is 3%, 21.2% and 11.1 %,
respectively.
In the next processing phase, product is cooked in two step or one step
cooking cycle. In
the first machine (8) product is blanched in norrhydrogenated vegetable oil
heated to
temperature between 360 ° F (182.2°C) and 390°F
(199°C) for a 15 to 40 seconds.
Finally, product is cooked in the convection oven (9) for 8 to 14 minutes at
temperatures
between 450 ° F (232.2°C) to 500°F (260°C). In
another embodiment, the cooking process
is limited to heating the product in the convection oven (9) for 8 to 15
minutes until it
reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
Cooked product is individually quickly finzen in the firing tunnel (10) where
the
cooling medium is liquid nitrogen released at temperature - 170°F (-
112.2°C). The
cooked product temperature is between 0°F ( 17.8°C) to 5°
F (-15°C) after passing it
through the freezing tunnel ( 10). The frozen product is stored in the fi
eezer ( 11 ) at - 20 °
F (-29°C).
CA 02457068 2004-02-09
Table 1. Exemplary formula of the convenient sandwich
Sandwich Formula componentProportionsProcedures
components
Substrate Chicken meat, 75.25 Chicken breast ground
pork or beef % in the grinder
Seasoning 2.75 into 0.5 inch pieces.
% Meat mixed
Soy protein 4.00 with water and other
isolate % components for
Water 18.00 3 minutes.
%
Layerl Wheat flour 100.00%Pre-dust
Layer 2 Water 88.00 Soy Protein Concentrate
% is mixed
Soy Protein 12.00 thoroughly with water.
Concentrate %
Batter is created.
Layer 3 Bleached wheat 20.00 Covering the dusted
flour % and battered
Cultured wheat 60.00 substrate with the
flour % bread crusts creates
Sugar 1.00 outer shell.
%
Salt 1.00
Malic acid 0.50
Soy been oil 1.00
Yeast extract 0.50
Yeast 3.00
2.00
The frozen sandwich weighs between 6.7 Oz and 7.4 Oz. (190 -210 grams). The
frozen
bagel sandwich illushrated on Fig. 3. The sandwich (12) weighs between 5.6 Oz
and 6.7
Oz. (160 -190 grams).
A method of preparation of a convenient sandwich is illustrated in the FIG. 2.
Frozen
sandwich (12) is placed in the microwave oven (13) and heated for 2 to 3
minutes until
the product temperature reaches 60° F to 70 ° F ( 15.5 °
C to 21.1 ° C). Subsequently, the
sandwich (12) is placed in a bagel cutter (14) and cut with a knife (15) and a
top portion
( 16) is separated from bottom portion ( 17). In order to finalize the
sandwich
arrangements, the condiments like slices of tomato ( 18), onion rings ( 19),
lettuce (20),
slice of cheese (21), bacon (22) are placed on the bottom of sandwich portion
and
covered with mayonnaise ), sauces , salt and spices (23). The top part of
sandwich is put
on top of the condiments and the sandwich is served to the consumer. In
another
embodiment depicted on Fig.3. the frozen bagel sandwich (24) having
cylindrical cut-out
(25) is placed in the microwave oven (13) and heated for 2 to 3 minutes until
the product
temperature reaches temperature about 60 °F to 70 °F (15.5
° C to 21.1 ° C).
Subsequently, the sandwich (24) is placed in a bagel cutter (14) or cut with a
knife (15)
and a top portion (26) is separated from bottom portion (27). In order to
finalize the
sandwich arrangements, butter (28) or cream cheese is spread over the cut
surface of the
bagel sandwich. The top part of the bagel sandwich is put on the spread and
the bagel
sandwich is served to the consumer.
The sandwich preparation time is ca. 1 minute, which is a major advantage in
fast-food
restaurants allowing considerable labor and time saving. Since the sandwich
may be kept
frozen for extended period of time or may be refrozen again after defrosting,
this type of
sandwich is a convenient way of serving in the food service industry,
restaurants, hotels,
