Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD FOR TENDERIZING CHICKEN OR PORK
BACKGROUND
A large portion of commercially raised chicken, including fowl, spent chicken,
heavy
spent chicken and breeding chicken, is limited in value because conventional
preparation
methods result in meat that is unacceptably tough and dry. A variety of
methods have been
used to tenderize these naturally tough types of meat, such as mechanically
interrupting the
muscle fibers of the meat. However, none of these methods have produced a
product from
naturally tough meat that can be cooked using conventional preparation
methods, and that
results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender and suitable
for human
consumption.
Therefore, it would be useful to have a method of tenderizing naturally tough
chicken
and pork so that the naturally tough chicken and pork can be cooked using
conventional
methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is consistently
tender and suitable
for human consumption.
SUMMARY
According to one embodiment, there is provided a method of tenderizing
naturally
tough chicken and pork, the method comprising providing a suitable grade of
naturally tough
chicken and pork, and treating the naturally tough chicken and pork with a
composition
comprising an enzyme mixture where the enzyme mixture consists of between
about 98.7 %
and about 99.7 % bromelin, between about 0.02 % and about 0.08 % ficin and
between about
0.01 % and about 0.05 % papain. In one embodiment the enzyme mixture consists
of between
about 98.7 % and about 99.7 % bromelin, between about 0.02 % and about 0.08 %
ficin and
between about 0.01 % and about 0.05 % papain. In another embodiment, the
enzyme mixture
consists of between about 99 % and about 99.4 % bromelin, between about 0.04 %
and about
0.06 % ficin and between about 0.02 % and about 0.04 % papain. In a preferred
embodiment,
the enzyme mixture consists of about 98.2 % bromelin, about 0.05 % ficin and
about 0.03
papain.
In one embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of between about
0.5 % and about 6 % of the composition. In another embodiment, the enzyme
mixture is
present in an amount of between about 0.7 % and about 2 % of the composition.
In a
preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of about 1 %
of the
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composition.
In another embodiment, the composition used to treat the naturally tough
chicken and
pork additionally comprises a carrier, such as NaCI. In a preferred
embodiment, the carrier
is present in an amount of between about 25 % and about 99 % of the
composition or in an
amount of between about 50 % and about 99 % of the composition. In a
particularly
preferred embodiment, the carrier is present in an amount of about 98.5 % of
the
composition.
In one embodiment, the composition used to treat the naturally tough chicken
and
pork additionally comprises a processing aid, such as soybean oil. In a
preferred
embodiment, the processing aid is present in an amount of between about 0.1 %
and about 2
of the composition. In another preferred embodiment, the processing aid is
present in an
amount of between about 0.3 % and about 1 % of the composition. In a
particularly preferred
embodiment, the processing aid is present in an amount of about 0.5 % of the
composition.
In a preferred embodiment, the composition used to treat the naturally tough
chicken
and pork comprises about 98.4 % carrier, about 1.1 % enzyme mixture and about
0.5 %
processing aid.
In one embodiment, the naturally tough chicken and pork provided is partially
or
completely skinned, boned or both. In another embodiment, the method
additionally
comprises removing waste products or excess fat or both from the naturally
tough chicken
and pork.
In another embodiment, the naturally tough chicken and pork provided is an
amount
between about 0.1 kg and about 10,000 kg. In yet another embodiment, the
naturally tough
chicken and pork provided is an amount between about 100 kg and 6000 kg.
In one embodiment, the ratio of weight of the composition to the total weight
of the
naturally tough chicken and pork being treated with the composition is between
about 1:200
and about 1:1500. In another embodiment, the ratio of weight of the
composition to the total
weight of the naturally tough chicken and pork being treated with the
composition is between
about 1:450 and about 1:650.
In a preferred embodiment, treating the naturally tough chicken and pork
comprises
injecting the naturally tough chicken and pork with a solution comprising the
composition. In
a particularly preferred embodiment, the solution injected additionally
comprises ice, NaCI
and potable water. In another preferred embodiment, the solution injected is
between about
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9 % and about 15 % of the weight of the chicken being injected. In a
particularly preferred
embodiment, the solution injected is about 12 % of the weight of the naturally
tough chicken
and pork being injected.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises adding to the naturally tough
chicken and pork one or more than one substance selected from the group
consisting of
flavoring, NaCI, moisture enhancing agents, preservatives, and potable water.
In another
embodiment, the method further comprises tumbling the treated naturally tough
chicken and
pork at a pressure and rotation speed selected to more evenly distribute the
enzyme mixture
throughout the treated chicken. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure is a
near vacuum.
In another preferred embodiment, the rotation speed is about between about 10
and about 15
revolutions per minute.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises exposing the treated
naturally tough chicken and pork to a relative vacuum a closed container, such
as a polymer
bag. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the relative vacuum is about -1.5
bar.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises packaging the treated
naturally
tough chicken and pork in a commercial package. In a preferred embodiment, the
method
further comprises cooking the treated naturally tough chicken and pork. In a
particularly
preferred embodiment, cooking the treated naturally tough chicken and pork
comprises
raising the core temperature of the treated naturally tough chicken and pork
to about 70°C.
In another embodiment, the method further comprises distributing the treated
naturally
tough chicken and pork to an intermediate wholesale or retail establishment.
DESCRIPTION
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an
enzyme
mixture that can be used to treat naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a
product that
can be cooked using conventional methods, and that results in a post-
preparation product that
is consistently tender. The enzyme mixture comprises three enzymes: bromelin,
ficin and
papain. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is
provided a
method of tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a product
that can be
cooked by conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product
that is
consistently tender. The method comprises treating the naturally tough chicken
or pork with
an enzyme mixture according to the present invention. The enzyme mixture and
method will
now be disclosed in detail.
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As used in this disclosure, "consumer" refers to the individual or enterprise
that cooks
the treated naturally tough chicken or pork for eventual human consumption,
and includes an
individual at home, and a cook in a restaurant or a food service enterprise,
among others as
will be understood by those in the art with reference to this disclosure.
As used in this disclosure, percent amounts are given in percent by weight of
total
weight.
In one embodiment, the present invention is an enzyme mixture that can be used
to
treat naturally tough chicken or pork according to the present invention. The
enzyme
mixture comprises three proteolytic enzymes, and can comprise one or more than
one
additional substance. Each enzyme in the enzyme mixture has a specific
activation
temperature and a deactivation temperature. When used to treat naturally tough
chicken or
pork together and in the proper ratios, cooking the naturally tough chicken or
pork causes the
enzymes to work synergistically to break down the substance of the naturally
tough chicken
or pork and results in a post-preparation product that is consistently tender
and suitable for
human consumption.
In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of the three enzymes
bromelin, ficin and papain. In a particularly preferred embodiment, three
enzymes are
combined in specific ratios. Suitable enzymes can be obtained from All
American
Seasonings, Inc., Denver, CO US.
In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of between about 98.7 %
and
about 99.7 % bromelin, between about 0.02 % and about 0.08 % ficin and between
about
0.01 % and about 0.05 % papain. In another preferred embodiment, the enzyme
mixture
consists of between about 99 % and about 99.4 % bromelin, between about 0.04 %
and about
0.06 % ficin and between about 0.02 % and about 0.04 % papain. In a
particularly preferred
embodiment, the enzyme mixture consists of about 98.2 % bromelin, about 0.05 %
ficin and
about 0.03 % papain.
In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a composition
for
tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork. The composition comprises the
enzyme mixture
of the present invention and further comprises a carrier. The carrier assists
in dispersing the
enzyme mixture evenly in a solution and assists in preventing the enzyme
mixture from
clumping together and from hardening during storage. In a particularly
preferred
embodiment, the carrier is NaCI, available from All American Seasonings, Inc.
though other
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salts, such as KCl or dextrose, or any other suitable carrier can be used, as
will be
understood by those with skill in the art with reference to this disclosure.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the composition further
comprises a
processing aid that assists in preventing the enzyme mixture from clumping
together and from
5 hardening during storage. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the
processing aid is
refined, bleached and odorless soybean oil (available from All American
Seasonings, Inc.).
In a preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an amount of
between
about 0.5 % and about 6 % of the composition. In another preferred embodiment,
the enzyme
mixture is present in an amount of between about 0.7 % and about 2 % of the
composition. In
a particularly preferred embodiment, the enzyme mixture is present in an
amount of about
1 % of the composition.
In a preferred embodiment, the carrier is present in an amount of between
about 25
and about 99 % of the composition. In another preferred embodiment, the
carrier is present
in an amount of between about 50 % and about 99 % . In a particularly
preferred embodiment,
the carrier is present in an amount of about 98.5 % .
In a preferred embodiment, the processing aid is present in an amount of
between
about 0.1 % and about 2 % . In another preferred embodiment, the processing
aid is present in
an amount of between about 0.3 % and about 1 % . In a particularly preferred
embodiment,
the processing aid is present in an amount of about 0.5 % .
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition
comprises 98.4 % carrier, 1.1 % enzyme mixture in the ratios given above, and
0.5 %
processing aid.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of
tenderizing naturally tough chicken or pork to produce a product that can be
cooked by
conventional methods, and that results in a post-preparation product that is
consistently
tender. In summary, the method comprises at least the following two steps.
First, a suitable
type or grade of naturally tough chicken or pork is provided. As used in this
disclosure, the
terms "type" and "grade" are interchangeable. Second, the suitable grade of
naturally tough
chicken or pork is treated with an enzyme mixture according to the present
invention.
The suitable grade of naturally tough chicken or pork provided is preferably
chicken
or pork that is naturally tough rendering it less than commercially desirable
for human
consumption after being cooked by conventional methods. In one embodiment, the
grade of
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naturally tough chicken is selected from the group consisting of fowl, spent
chicken, heavy
spent chickem and breeding chicken but other grades of chicken that are
naturally tough are
also suitable. In a preferred embodiment, the naturally tough chicken or pork
selected is
primarily of one grade. The naturally tough chicken or pork can be partially
or completely
skinned, boned or both. Additionally, waste products, such as connective
tissue, or excess
fat can be removed. The amount of naturally tough chicken or pork provided can
be any
amount that can be handled by equipment available to perform the method of the
present
invention. For example, the amount can be between about 0.1 kg and about
10,000 kg. In a
preferred embodiment, the amount is between about 100 kg and about 6000 kg.
Treatment of the naturally tough chicken or pork with an enzyme mixture
according
to the present invention can be accomplished using a variety of methods. In a
preferred
embodiment, the naturally tough chicken or pork is injected with a solution
containing the
enzyme mixture using commercially available injection equipment, such as the
Fomaco
Injector, Robert Reiser Co., Canton, MA US, though any suitable injection
equipment can be
used as will be understood by those in the art with reference to this
disclosure. Preferably,
the sites of injection are less than about 7.5 cm apart. In a particularly
preferred
embodiment, the naturally tough chicken or pork is injected with a solution
containing the
composition.
In one embodiment, the weight ratio of composition to naturally tough chicken
or
pork is between about 1:200 and about 1:1500. In a preferred embodiment, the
ratio of
composition to naturally tough chicken or pork is between about 1:450 and
about 1:650.
For example, naturally tough chicken or pork that is to be cooked by grilling
or
microwaving can be injected with a solution of the composition, ice, NaCI and
potable water
in a ratio of 1:13:1.7:55. Similarly, naturally tough chicken or pork that is
to be cooked by a
convention gas or an electric oven can be injected with a mixture of the
composition, ice,
NaCI and potable water in a ratio of 1:20:2.5:80. The ice is used to cool the
injection
solution before injection to retard spoilage and melts during the injection
process.
In one embodiment, the amount of the solution injected is between about 9% and
about 15 % of the weight of the chicken being injected. In a preferred
embodiment, the
amount of the solution injected is about 12 % of the weight of the chicken
being injected.
Similarly, in one embodiment, the amount of the solution injected is between
about
6 % and about 15 % of the weight of the pork being injected. In a preferred
embodiment, the
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amount of the solution injected is about 10 % of the weight of the pork being
injected.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises adding one or more
than
one substance selected from the group consisting of flavoring such as spices,
NaCI, moisture
enhancing agents such as sodium phosphate, preservatives such sodium lactate,
and potable
water to the naturally tough chicken or pork to improve the taste, texture or
other property of
the finished product.
In another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises tumbling the
treated
naturally tough chicken or pork at a pressure and rotation speed selected to
more evenly
distribute the enzyme mixture or composition throughout the treated chicken.
The pressure
and rotation speed are chosen so as to separate the fibers of treated
naturally tough chicken or
pork without shredding or tearing apart the fibers permanently, that is, while
retaining the
fibers' structural cohesiveness. In a preferred embodiment, the tumbling is
performed in a
near vacuum at between about 10 and about 15 revolutions per minute for
between about 15
and about 30 minutes. The near vacuum combined with the rotation separates the
muscle
fibers of the treated naturally tough chicken or pork allowing more rapid and
uniform
distribution of the enzymes. Preferably, the treated naturally tough chicken
or pork is
tumbled in a finned vacuum tumbler with a central sealable chamber that can be
operated at a
specific pressure and rotation speed such as the Model LT30, available from
Lance
Industries, Allenton, WI US or a similar device, as will be understood by
those with skill in
the art with reference to this disclosure.
In another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises exposing the
treated
naturally tough chicken or pork to a relative vacuum in a closed container.
Containers are
selected that can be sealed to maintain a vacuum for preserving the chicken.
In one
embodiment, the container is a polymer bag, such as available from W. R. Grace
& Co.,
Sioux City, Iowa. After selecting a suitable container, the treated naturally
tough chicken or
pork is placed in the container and a vacuum is applied. In a preferred
embodiment, the
vacuum is a near vacuum of about -1.5 bar. The container tends to assume the
shape of the
chicken upon application of the vacuum.
In another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises packaging the
treated
naturally tough chicken or pork in a suitable commercial package for shipping
and storage, or
in a suitable commercial package for retail distribution to a consumer, or
both. Packaging
can include labeling as required by local laws and branding with a trademark
or trade name
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and can include decorative wrapping for marketing purposes.
In another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises cooking the
treated
naturally tough chicken or pork before packaging. The cooking can be done by
any suitable
method as will be understood by those in the art with reference to this
disclosure. For
example, the treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be placed in an oven
or in a hot
water bath. Preferably, the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is cooked
until its core
temperature is raised to at least about 70°C for chicken and to at
least about 65°C for pork.
If the treated naturally tough chicken or pork is cooked before packaging,
then the cooked
treated naturally tough chicken ~r pork is preferably cooled also before
packaging.
The treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be distributed to an
intermediate
wholesale or retail establishment, and thereby to a consumer, or can be
distributed directly to
a consumer. After distribution, the consumer cooks the treated naturally tough
chicken or
pork using conventional methods, or if the product has been cooked prior to
packaging,
reheats the product if desired or consumes the product without reheating. For
example, the
treated naturally tough chicken or pork can be removed from the packaging and
container and
can be barbecued, grilled, microwaved, prepared on a stove top or in an oven,
or cooked
using another conventional method, and the post-preparation product is
consistently tender
and suitable for human consumption.
Although the present invention has been discussed in considerable detail with
reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments are possible.
Therefore, the
scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of
preferred
embodiments contained in this disclosure.
