Freeze dried cooked meats

Claim 1

A method for producing freeze dried cooked meats which are more easily and completely rehydratable, comprising the steps of: a. trimming a quantity of raw solid meat of heavy connective tissue and excess fat; b. grinding or emulsifying a first portion of said trimmed meat and flaking or chunking a second portion of said trimmed meat into flakes or chunks which are 2.5-6.0 cubic inches in volume; c. mixing said ground or emulsified first portion and said flaked or chunked second portion with about 2.0% to about 6.0% of the formula weight water, about 0.5% to about 2.0% of the formula weight salt, about 0.1% to about 0.5% of the formula weight phosphates and about 0.5% to about 5.0% of the formula weight an adjunctive hydrophilic ingredient until sufficient myofibrillar proteins are extracted to render the mixture moderately tacky and continuing said mixing until the water, salt, phosphates and adjunctive hydrophilic ingredients equilibrate throughout said mixture; d. preparing a meat log by tightly stuffing said mixture into a moisture and gas impermeable container, wherein said container is a casing comprising a fibrous cellulose exterior laminated onto a saran film interior, said casing fitting tightly to the surface of said meat so as to keep moisture in equilibrium within said meat product during cooking; e. cooking said meat log at a predetermined temperature for sufficient time to achieve a predetermined product center temperature; f. freezing said meat log; g. slicing or dicing said meat log into portions suitable for freeze dehydration; h. freeze vacuum dehydrating said portions to a predetermined moisture level; and i. packaging said dehydrated meat in an airtight container in the absence of oxygen.

Claim 2

A method for producing freeze dried cooked meats which are more easily and completely rehydratable, comprising the steps of: a. trimming a quantity of raw solid meat of heavy connective tissue and excess fat; b. grinding or emulsifying a first portion of said trimmed meat and flaking or chunking a second portion of said trimmed meat into flakes or chunks which are 2.5-6.0 cubic inches in volume; c. mixing said ground or emulsified first portion and said flaked or chunked second portion with about 2.0% to about 6.0% of the formula weight water, about 0.5% to about 2.0% of the formula weight salt, about 0.1% to about 0.5% of the formula weight phosphates and about 0.5% to about 5.0% of the formula weight an adjunctive hydrophilic ingredient until sufficient myofibrillar proteins are extracted to render the mixture moderately tacky and continuing said mixing until the water, salt, phosphates and adjunctive hydrophilic ingredients equilibrate throughout said mixture; d. preparing a meat log by tightly stuffing said mixture into a moisture and gas impermeable container, wherein said container is a casing comprising a fibrous cellulose exterior laminated onto a saran film interior, said casing fitting tightly to the surface of said meat so as to keep moisture in equilibrium within said meat product during cooking; e. cooking said meat log at a predetermined temperature for sufficient time to achieve a predetermined product center temperature; f. freezing said meat log; g. slicing or dicing said meat log into portions suitable for freeze dehydration; h. freeze vacuum dehydrating said portions to a predetermined moisture level; and i. packaging said dehydrated meat in an airtight container in the absence of oxygen.