Methods and apparatus for cooking meat products

Claim 2

Apparatus for cooking emulsion meat products confined in a casing with infrared radiation, said apparatus comprising: a heating cabinet for enclosing said products during cooking; a plurality of electrical infrared heat sources mounted within said heating cabinet; first heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources to cycle said infrared heat and apply a low average level of said heat to said products for an initial predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the inside temperature of said product in phase with the product outer surface temperature sufficient to prevent emulsion breakdown in continued cooking of said product; and second heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources to cycle said infrared heat and apply a higher average level of said heat to said product for a subsequent predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the product inside temperature in phase with the product outer surface temperature until the required inside temperature of a fully cooked product is obtained.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature of said product is maintained below the melting point of fat to prevent any appreciable amount of fat being rendered.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second cycle control means includes preset adjustable timing means for presetting the on cycle during which infrared heat is applied to said products from said infrared sources and for presetting the off cycle during which substantially no heat is applied from said infrared sources, and further including switching means for impulse switching said infrared heat sources on and off in accordance with said preset on and off cycles.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes preset adjustable timing means for presetting the on cycle during which infrared heat at a high amplitude is applied to said products from said infrared sources and for presetting the off cycle during which infrared heat at a substantially lower amplitude is applied from said infrared sources, and further including switching means for switching said infrared heat sources in accordance with said preset on and off cycles.

Claim 6

Apparatus for continuously cooking emulsion meat products confined in a casing utilizing infrared radiation, said apparatus comprising: a heating cabinet having at least two separate heating sections; a plurality of electrical infrared heat sources mounted within each of said heating sections; conveyor means for conveying said casing products through said heating sections adjacent said heat sources; first heating section cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources within said first section; said first section cycle control means cycling said infrared heat to apply a lower average level of said heat to said products for an initial predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the inside temperature of said product in phase with the product outer surface temperature; second heating section cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources in said second heating section; said second section cycle control means cycling said infrared heat and applying a higher average level of said heat to said products within said section for a subsequent predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the product inside temperature in phase with the product outer surface temperature until the required inside temperature of a fully cooked product is obtained.

Claim 7

Apparatus for continuously cooking emulsion meat products confined in a casing utilizing infrared radiation, said apparatus comprising: a heating cabinet having at least two separate heating sections; a plurality of electrical infrared heat sources mounted within each of said heating sections; conveyor means for conveying said casing products through said heating sections adjacent said heat sources; first heating section cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources within said first section; said first section cycle control means cycling said infrared heat to apply a lower average level of said heat to said products for an initial predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the inside temperature of said product in phase with the product outer surface temperature; second heating section cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources in said second heating section; said second section cycle control means cycling said infrared heat and applying a higher average level of said heat to said products within said section for a subsequent predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the product inside temperature in phase with the product outer surface temperature until the required inside temperature of a fully cooked product is obtained.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second section cycle control means includes means for cycling the amplitude of said infrared heat in said second section betweEn maximum and minimum amplitudes.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the temperature of said product is maintained below the melting point of fat to prevent any appreciable amount of fat being rendered.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first and second cycle control means includes preset adjustable timing means for presetting an on cycle during which infrared heat is applied to said products from said infrared sources and for presetting an off cycle during which substantially no heat is applied from said infrared sources, and further including switching means for impulse switching said infrared heat sources on and off in accordance with said preset on and off cycles.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control means includes preset adjustable timing means for presetting an on cycle during which infrared heat at a high amplitude is applied to said products from said infrared sources and for presetting an off cycle during which infrared heat at a substantially lower amplitude is applied from said infrared sources, and further including switching means for switching said infrared heat sources in accordance with said preset on and off cycles.

Claim 12

Apparatus for continuously cooking encased meat products utilizing infrared radiation, said apparatus comprising: a heating cabinet having at least two separate heating sections; a plurality of electrical infrared heat sources mounted within each of said heating section; conveyor means for conveying said encased products through said heating sections adjacent said heat sources; first heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources for heating said encased products conveyed through said heating cabinet; said first heating cycle control means cycling said infrared heat to apply a lower average level of said heat to said products for an initial predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the inside temperature of said product in phase with the product outer surface temperature; second heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources for continuing the heating of said encased products conveyed through said heating cabinet; said second heating cycle control means cycling said infrared heat and applying a higher average level of said heat to said products for a subsequent predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the product inside temperature in phase with the product outer surface temperature until the required inside temperature of a fully cooked product is obtained.

Claim 13

Apparatus for continuously cooking encased meat products utilizing infrared radiation, said apparatus comprising: a heating cabinet having at least two separate heating sections; a plurality of electrical infrared heat sources mounted within each of said heating section; conveyor means for conveying said encased products through said heating sections adjacent said heat sources; first heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources for heating said encased products conveyed through said heating cabinet; said first heating cycle control means cycling said infrared heat to apply a lower average level of said heat to said products for an initial predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the inside temperature of said product in phase with the product outer surface temperature; second heating cycle control means coupled to said plurality of infrared heat sources for continuing the heating of said encased products conveyed through said heating cabinet; said second heating cycle control means cycling said infrared heat and applying a higher average level of said heat to said products for a subsequent predetermined heating period increasing and maintaining the product inside temperature in phase with the product outer surface temperature until the required inside temperature of a fully cooked product is obtained.