Process for producing precooked bacon slices

Abstract

A process for producing precooked bacon slices comprising the steps of (a) conveying bacon slices through a spiral oven, (b) indirectly cooking the bacon slices in the spiral oven using a cooking medium which is circulated within the oven at a low rate sufficient to prevent the bacon slices from being displaced on the conveyor, and (c) adding steam to the cooking medium as necessary to at least reduce the percentage or substantially eliminate the presence of air in the cooking medium.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to processes for continuously cooking bacon slices to produce precooked bacon strips and other precooked sliced bacon products.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Because of their thinness, the short cooking time required, and the high fat and water content of the raw product, bacon slices are among the most difficult products to cook consistently. The continuous bacon cooking processes heretofore used in the industry have not been able to provide precooked sliced bacon products having the same texture, bite, mouth feel, color, and appearance as pan-fried products cooked in the home. Thus, a need presently exists for a significantly improved continuous process and system capable of producing such precooked sliced bacon products. A need particularly exists for a process of this type which (a) will provide a production rate similar to the microwave processing systems currently used in the art, (b) will take up less floor space in ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The present invention provides a spiral oven process for preparing precooked sliced bacon products which unexpectedly and surprisingly satisfies the needs and alleviates the problems discussed above. The inventive spiral oven process and system can produce a precooked sliced bacon product of generally any desired crispness and generally any desired color ranging from light gold to very dark golden brown. The inventive system also has a very small footprint and eliminates or at least greatly reduces the fire risk posed by the prior art circulating air oven systems. Moreover, the inventive bacon cooking process will produce a consistent product which does not have burned or blackened outer edges and is much closer than a microwaved product to home-fried bacon.

[0008]In one aspect, there is provided a process for continuously cooking bacon comprising the steps of: (a) placing bacon slices on a conveyor of a spiral oven such that the conveyor carries the bacon slices through the spiral oven in a spiral pattern, the spiral oven having at least one opening (e.g., for the conveyor) which is open to atmospheric conditions outside of the spiral oven; (b) indirectly cooking the bacon slices in the spiral oven by contacting the bacon slices with a cooking medium circulating in the spiral oven at an average contacting temperature of at least 325° F. and at a contact flow velocity which is sufficiently low that the bacon slices will not be displaced on the conveyor when contacted by the cooking medium; and (c) adding steam to the cooking medium in a manner effective to maintain the cooking medium during step (b) such that a partial pressure of air which would otherwise be present in the cooking medium without adding the steam in step (c) is reduced by at least 10%.

[0010]In another aspect, there is provided a process for continuously cooking bacon comprising the steps of: (a) placing bacon slices on a conveyor of a spiral oven such that the conveyor carries said bacon slices upwardly in said spiral oven in a spiral pattern; (b) indirectly cooking the bacon slices in the spiral oven by contacting the bacon slices with a cooking medium circulating in the spiral oven at an average contacting temperature of at least 325° F. and at a contacting flow velocity which is sufficiently low that the bacon slices will not be displaced on the conveyor when contacted by the cooking medium; (c) monitoring the cooking medium during step (b) using an analyzer of a type used for determining a relative humidity or dew point of air and for providing analyzer result readings on a relative humidity percentage scale or other corresponding result scale; and (d) adding steam to the cooking medium in a mainer effective to cause an analyzer result reading of or corresponding to a value of at least 10% on the relative humidity percentage scale to be maintained for the cooking medium during step (b).

Problems solved by technology

Because of their thinness, the short cooking time required, and the high fat and water content of the raw product, bacon slices are among the most difficult products to cook consistently.

The continuous bacon cooking processes heretofore used in the industry have not been able to provide precooked sliced bacon products having the same texture, bite, mouth feel, color, and appearance as pan-fried products cooked in the home.

Unfortunately, the continuous microwave processes heretofore used for producing precooked sliced bacon products have significant shortcomings and disadvantages.

For one thing, there are significant organaleptic differences between the product produced by a continuous microwave process versus a traditional home-fried product.

In addition, continuous microwave oven systems can be as much as 70 feet or more in length and, thus, take up a great deal of space in the processing facility.

Unfortunately, however, the products produced in the linear circulating air oven systems have been even less crisp and lighter in color than the microwave products.

In addition, the linear circulating air systems have had a tendency to burn or blacken the edges of the bacon slices and have also required an even greater amount of floor space to achieve throughputs approaching those of the microwave systems.

Further, because of the large amount of hot, flammable grease produced when cooking bacon, the fire risk presented by a circulating air oven is very high.

Unfortunately, however, the application of high velocity impingement air to the rather delicate, thinly sliced bacon product traveling through the oven causes the product to be displaced on (i.e., to be moved on or blown off of) the oven conveyor belt.

Also, linear impingement oven systems would still take up a relatively large amount of space in the processing facility and would present an even greater fire risk for bacon cooking.

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