A cooking method for meat ingredients

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for cooking meat ingredients, comprising a cooking stage, in which the ingredients are baked and cooked by hot air formed by a hot air component. The method is characterized in that a pretreatment stage is provided before the cooking stage, wherein the pretreatment stage includes at least one step of heating and then cooling the meat ingredients, and the meat ingredients are maintained in a cooking chamber for a preset time t during the pretreatment stage to improve the water holding capacity of the ingredients, wherein the preset time t is not less than 1 hour. When the meat ingredients are cooked by hot air frying, a pretreatment stage is provided, and the heating and then cooling steps in the pretreatment stage effectively improve the water holding capacity of the meat ingredients during the degreasing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of kitchen cooking, and in particular to a method for cooking meat ingredients. Background Art

[0002] Fried and grilled foods are increasingly popular due to their delicious taste and unique symbolic value. With the continuous improvement of living standards, more and more families are pursuing a quality and healthy lifestyle, choosing to prepare their own food. The concept of low oil and smoke-free cooking is also gaining popularity. The hot air fryer's air frying method maximizes the taste and symbolic value of fried and grilled foods while providing consumers with the health benefits of low oil and smoke-free cooking. As a result, air frying has become widely accepted by consumers.

[0003] However, when using hot air frying to process ingredients, different cooking methods are required due to the different internal structures of different ingredients. For example, meat ingredients contain more fat, such as chicken wings. Chicken wings are one of the most tender and delicious parts of the whole chicken and are a poultry product that is deeply loved by consumers. However, due to large-scale intensive breeding in recent years, the use of high-energy feed and a large number of feed additives has shortened the production cycle of broiler chickens, increased body fat content, and especially a large amount of subcutaneous fat deposition. The fat in chicken wings is mainly concentrated in the epidermis and subcutaneous part. In order to solve the problem of degreasing chicken wings, traditional hot air frying promotes the release of moisture from the epidermis through continuous high temperature, thereby destroying the fat tissue and achieving the effect of degreasing. Although this can achieve the desired degreasing effect, it will also cause the loss of moisture in the muscle of the ingredients, making the cooked chicken wings dry and tough, reducing the taste of the chicken wings.

[0004] In the prior art, in order to solve this problem, water or steam is added to the cooking cavity during the hot air frying process to solve the problem of water vapor loss, which improves the cooking effect to a certain extent. However, the added water cannot always penetrate into the interior of the food better and cannot be compared with the original moisture of the food. In addition, adding a water supply device or a water steam device also increases the cost of the corresponding equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a method for cooking meat ingredients. The method involves first treating the meat within a specific temperature range for an appropriate length of time to promote the exudation of moisture from the surface and the destruction of fat tissue. This, combined with the lower internal temperature, prevents the loss of moisture from the internal muscles. The method then allows the marinade to penetrate the meat and increase the water holding capacity of the internal muscle cells by allowing the marinade to rest for a long time. Finally, high-temperature cooking reduces the viscosity and surface tension of the fat, allowing it to flow away. The meat roasted using this method has a low fat content and is not dry or tough, meeting the health needs of users seeking a low-fat diet.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a cooking method for meat ingredients, including a cooking stage, in which the ingredients are baked and cooked by hot air generated by a hot air component, wherein a pretreatment stage is provided before the cooking stage, and in the pretreatment stage, the meat ingredients are heated and then cooled at least once, and in the pretreatment stage, the meat ingredients are maintained in the cooking chamber for a preset time t to improve the water holding capacity of the ingredients, and the preset time t is not less than 1 hour.

[0007] Furthermore, the pretreatment stage includes a temperature rising step of a low-temperature pretreatment process and a temperature falling step of a static pretreatment process. During the low-temperature pretreatment process, it is ensured that the temperature in the cooking cavity is not greater than 200 degrees Celsius.

[0008] Furthermore, in the pretreatment stage, the low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process are repeatedly run in an alternating cycle.

[0009] Furthermore, the number of alternating cycles of the low-temperature treatment process and the static pretreatment process is n, where n is not greater than 6.

[0010] Furthermore, when the standing time of the static pretreatment process is greater than 2 hours, a low-temperature pretreatment process is performed before the static pretreatment process.

[0011] Furthermore, during the low-temperature treatment process, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T1, and the time for the hot air to act on the meat food is t1, 60℃<T1≤200℃. As the hot air temperature T1 increases, the time it acts on the meat food decreases to ensure that the temperature inside the food is not greater than 100℃.

[0012] Furthermore, at the end of the static pretreatment process, the surface temperature of the meat food is no more than 50°C.

[0013] Furthermore, during the static pretreatment process, the wind drive component of the hot air assembly works intermittently.

[0014] Furthermore, in the cooking stage, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T2, 140°C<T2≤230°C.

[0015] Furthermore, in the cooking stage, the time that the hot air generated by the hot air component acts on the meat ingredients is t3, 0.25t4≤t3<t4, where time t4 is the time required for the same amount of meat ingredients to be cooked at temperature T2.

[0016] When hot air frying meat ingredients, a pretreatment stage is set up. Through the heating and cooling steps in the pretreatment stage, the water holding capacity of the meat ingredients is effectively improved during the degreasing process. In particular, after the specific low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process are adopted, the appropriate treatment time within a specific temperature range is used to promote the exudation of epidermal moisture and the destruction of fat tissue. At the same time, the loss of internal muscle moisture is avoided because of the low internal temperature. Then, the marinade is promoted to penetrate into the inside by standing for a long time to increase the water holding capacity of the internal muscle cells. Finally, high-temperature cooking reduces the viscosity and surface tension of the fat to make it flow away. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 The relationship between temperature and practice during the low-temperature pretreatment process in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 The temperature change trend of the food surface after the low-temperature pretreatment process in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 The bacterial colony changes during the static pretreatment at 37°C in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 The bacterial colony changes during the static pretreatment process at an ambient temperature of 20°C in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 1 is a curve showing the relationship between oil viscosity and temperature during the cooking stage in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Example:

[0024] A method for cooking meat ingredients, including a cooking stage, in which the ingredients are baked and cooked by hot air generated by a hot air component. A pretreatment stage is provided before the cooking stage, in which the meat ingredients are heated and then cooled at least once. In the pretreatment stage, the meat ingredients are maintained in a cooking chamber for a preset time t to improve the water holding capacity of the ingredients, and the preset time t is not less than 1 hour.

[0025] Specifically, this method is based on hot air frying, which uses kitchen appliances such as air fryers and air ovens that heat food. The hot air component includes a heat source that generates heat, i.e., a heating device, and a wind-generating component, typically a fan, that generates air.

[0026] Take chicken wings, for example. Traditionally, hot air frying maintains a relatively high temperature from start to finish, typically between 150°C and 200°C. Because water is easier to remove than fat from chicken wings, moisture continuously seeps out of the skin once the frying process begins. Simultaneously, the large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the wings leads to high heat transfer efficiency, causing the internal muscles to rapidly heat up and lose significant water. The degreasing phase only occurs when the skin's moisture content is low, but moisture from the inside of the wings continues to be lost. Consequently, hot air frying can create a dilemma: if you want a crispy, low-fat skin, the meat inside will be dry and tough. If you want tender, juicy meat, the skin will be soft, sticky, and greasy, with a high fat content.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, the specific cooking method includes a pretreatment stage and a cooking stage, and the pretreatment stage includes: a low-temperature pretreatment process and a static pretreatment process.

[0028] The pretreatment stage is to remove moisture from the chicken wing skin, destroy the fat tissue structure, prepare conditions for defatting and seasoning the chicken wings, and at the same time increase the water holding capacity of the muscle cells inside the chicken wings.

[0029] Specifically, the low-temperature pretreatment process removes moisture from the chicken wing skin and destroys the fat tissue structure, preparing the chicken wings for degreasing and flavoring. Of course, the heating temperature and time can also be further controlled to further prevent the internal temperature of the chicken wings from rising, thereby reducing water loss in the chicken wing muscles and preventing the chicken wings from becoming dry and tough after cooking.

[0030] During the low-temperature pretreatment process, moisture is removed from the chicken wing skin, accelerating degreasing. Chicken wings contain a certain amount of water, and free water is easier to remove than fat. Therefore, degreasing should be performed first before degreasing. If the low-temperature pretreatment fully removes moisture from the chicken wing skin, degreasing can proceed directly to the cooking stage. Furthermore, the low-temperature pretreatment process disrupts the fat tissue structure, which also accelerates degreasing. Animal fats are stored in adipocytes in the adipose tissue. Only by destroying the adipose tissue cells can the fat be completely and quickly melted out.

[0031] After the low-temperature pretreatment process, a static pretreatment process is set up. Regardless of whether the ingredients are chicken wings or other meats, hot air frying will generally marinate the ingredients. The low-temperature pretreatment process will cause the surface of the ingredients to deform, the cell membrane to be damaged, and its biological barrier to disappear. In this way, the marinade will be more effectively transferred inward during the static pretreatment process. At the same time, the loss of moisture from the epidermis indirectly increases the concentration of the marinade on the epidermis, increasing the concentration difference between the marinade inside and outside, thereby further enhancing the power of the marinade to penetrate inward. The further penetration of the marinade inward, in addition to improving the flavor, more importantly, the marinade combines with the muscle protein inside the ingredients to increase the water holding capacity of the muscle cells, thereby reducing the loss of moisture from the ingredients in the subsequent cooking stage.

[0032] In this embodiment, in order to better control the low-temperature pretreatment process, the temperature in the cooking cavity is ensured to be no greater than 200° C. If the temperature in the cooking cavity is greater than 200° C., excessive moisture loss from the muscle inside the chicken wing will occur.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, during the low-temperature treatment process, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T1, and the time for the hot air to act on the meat food is t1, 60℃<T1≤200℃. As the hot air temperature T1 increases, the time it acts on the meat food decreases to ensure that the temperature inside the food is not greater than 100℃.

[0034] When the temperature reaches 60°C-65°C, the collagen in the outer sheath of the connective tissue denatures and contracts, creating new pressure on the fluid-filled cells within, leading to cell membrane rupture and massive water exudation. The skin of chicken wings is almost entirely connective tissue, rich in collagen and fat. To achieve a surface temperature of 60°C-65°C, promoting the contraction of the connective tissue and the resulting water exudation and rupture of the fat cell membranes, the heating temperature T1 must be set above 60°C. The higher the air fryer temperature, the greater the temperature difference with the chicken wings, the higher the heat transfer efficiency, and the faster the surface temperature of the chicken wings rises. Experiments have found that when T1 = 80℃, it takes about 360s for the surface of the chicken wings to rise from room temperature (about 25℃) to 60℃, and about 5 minutes to rise from 60℃ to 65℃, and the maximum continuous heating temperature is about 70℃; T1 = 200℃, it only takes about 60s to rise from room temperature (about 25℃) to 60℃, and about 20s to rise from 60℃ to 65℃; after heating for 120s, the surface temperature of the chicken wings is close to 100℃. In order to prevent excessive heating of the chicken wings during the low-temperature pretreatment stage, from the perspective of practical operability, T1 ≤ 200℃.

[0035] Through experimental verification, after pretreatment, when the total colony count of chicken wings dropped to 100 CFU / g, there was a corresponding relationship between the low-temperature pretreatment temperature T1 and the duration t1, as shown in the fitting example. Figure 1 Data curve:

[0036] T1 / ℃ 70 80 100 120 140 150 180 200 t1 / min 50 25 10 6 5 3 2 2

[0037] At the same time, as temperature T1 increases, heating time t1 gradually decreases. As temperature T1 increases, the temperature difference between the hot air and the chicken wing surface increases, accelerating heat transfer and shortening the time required to reach the denaturation temperature of 60°C-65°C in the outer sheath of the connective tissue. As temperature T1 increases, the amount of heat received by the chicken wing surface per unit time also increases. In addition to being absorbed by the wing skin, some of this heat is also transferred to the wing interior. Therefore, adjusting heating time t1 is necessary to control the total amount of heat received by the chicken wing to prevent internal temperature increases and reduce moisture loss. Traditional chicken wing baking maintains a constant temperature of 150-200°C. After a period of rising temperature, the interior of the wing remains around 100°C for a prolonged period. The rate of moisture loss within the chicken wing is positively correlated with the internal temperature. Higher temperatures reduce the tissue's water retention and lead to faster moisture loss. Therefore, compared to traditional baking processes, low-temperature pretreatment significantly reduces moisture loss in chicken wings.

[0038] In order to improve the water holding capacity of the ingredients, the ingredients are kept in the cooking chamber for more than 1 hour during the pretreatment stage. The improvement of the water holding capacity is specifically reflected in the static pretreatment process. Specifically, in this embodiment, the duration of the pretreatment stage can reach 8 hours. In this way, the water holding capacity can be improved and the problem of scheduled baking can be solved.

[0039] Specifically, during the entire pretreatment phase, the static pretreatment process must last for at least two hours. If the static pretreatment time is too short, the amount of marinade that can be transferred and penetrated internally is limited, which in turn limits the ability to increase the water holding capacity of the muscle cells within the chicken wings and improve their flavor. Direct grilling also increases the loss of internal moisture. Of course, if the static pretreatment process is too long, there is a risk of spoilage. Microorganisms live on the surface of fresh meat. After a single low-temperature pretreatment, the microorganisms on the surface of the chicken wings are largely eliminated. However, the wings themselves provide a good source of nutrients for microbial growth and reproduction. Any remaining microorganisms will gradually multiply over time, ultimately leading to spoilage. Furthermore, experiments have confirmed that the safe storage time of chicken wings after a low-temperature pretreatment process decreases as the ambient temperature rises. To ensure safety, the interval between static pretreatment processes should not exceed eight hours. If the static pretreatment process lasts longer than two hours, a low-temperature pretreatment process should be performed before the static pretreatment process.

[0040] like Figure 2As shown in the figure, the experiment shows that although the temperature during the low-temperature pretreatment process is different, the surface temperature of the chicken wings decreases in a consistent manner with the change of the rest time after treatment. After 2 hours of rest, the surface temperature of the chicken wings drops to about 30°C, close to room temperature. Therefore, the rest time of the chicken wings after pretreatment is greater than 2 hours.

[0041] In addition, according to the requirements of GB16869-2005 "Fresh and Frozen Poultry Products", the total colony count of frozen poultry is required to be ≤5*105CFU / g. Before testing and pretreatment, the microbial content of the thawed chicken wings is 4.15*104CFU / g, which meets the national standard requirements.

[0042] like Figure 3-4 As shown in the figure, according to the experiment, at 37°C, after low-temperature pretreatment and then standing for 8 hours, the microbial content is 6.5*104, which is lower than the requirement of GB16869-2005. However, it is in a rapid growth stage and further extension of the time will easily exceed the standard requirement. At an ambient temperature of 20°C, after low-temperature pretreatment and then standing for 8 hours, the microbial content is lower than the requirement of GB16869-2005.

[0043] In the above description, the recommended duration for a single static pretreatment process is greater than 2 hours and less than 8 hours. However, during the cooking process, different ingredients require different durations. This means that for some ingredients, a single static pretreatment cannot be too long, but more time is needed to increase the water holding capacity. During the pretreatment phase, the low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process are repeated in an alternating cycle. Specifically, the number of alternating cycles between the low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process is n, where n is not greater than 6.

[0044] To achieve fat removal, flavor incorporation, and a non-tough texture, the low-temperature pretreatment and rest pretreatment processes should be run at least once. As the number of repetitions increases, the surface fat tissue is destroyed, moisture is removed more thoroughly, and the inward transfer of the marinade gradually reaches equilibrium. Continuously increasing the number of repetitions has no effect on the final grilling result. On the contrary, when a large gradient exists between the surface moisture content and the internal moisture content, the internal moisture will gradually permeate and transfer outward, which is detrimental to maintaining the tenderness of the meat. Therefore, the number of repetitions, n, should not exceed 6.

[0045] Of course, in actual implementation, in order to balance other factors, a single static pretreatment process may not be able to meet 2 hours. It is also possible to ensure water holding capacity by using the total static time of the entire pretreatment stage. However, it is necessary to ensure that the surface temperature of the meat ingredients is no more than 50°C at the end of a single static pretreatment process. This ensures that the ingredients are not excessively heat-treated.

[0046] Of course, the fan can be turned on or off during the static pre-conditioning process, but it's preferred to keep it on. Activating the fan enhances air flow within the cooking chamber, producing the following beneficial effects: 1. It continues to expel high-humidity air from the cooking chamber. This is because the static pre-conditioning process also gradually lowers the temperature inside the pot and the chicken wings. During this period, the chicken wings' skin continues to lose water, and the humidity inside the chamber remains high. 2. It lowers the temperature inside the cooking chamber, preventing the residual heat from the hot air inside the cooking chamber from overheating the chicken wings. During this process, the fan speed, v, should be 1500 rpm ≤ v ≤ 3500 rpm.

[0047] In this embodiment, during the cooking stage, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T2, 140℃<T2≤230℃. During the cooking stage, the time for the hot air generated by the hot air component to act on the meat ingredients is t3, 0.25t4≤t3<t4, where time t4 is the time required for the same amount of meat ingredients to be cooked at temperature T2.

[0048] After the low-temperature pretreatment process and the long-term cooling and static pretreatment process, the free moisture in the chicken wing epidermis is removed. At the same time, the connective tissue surrounding the adipose tissue shrinks due to heat, which puts greater pressure on the fat cells and destroys the cell membrane of the fat cells. Therefore, it can skip the epidermal dehydration stage and directly enter the rapid degreasing stage. It has been measured that the oil in the chicken wings has a viscosity of 36.46*10-3Pa·s at a temperature of 40°C and a viscosity of 9.8*10-3Pa·s at 70°C. According to the liquid viscosity-temperature correlation formula lgηL=A+(B / T) (where T is the Kelvin temperature, unit K), the viscosity-temperature correlation formula of the chicken wing oil is lgηL=-7.9649+(2043.83 / T). According to the correlation formula Figure 5 As can be seen, as the temperature rises, the viscosity of the oil decreases rapidly. When the oil temperature exceeds 100°C, the viscosity decrease slows. Therefore, the faster the chicken wing surface reaches 100°C or above, the better the degreasing effect. Experiments have found that when the cooking temperature T2 is ≤ 140°C, the chicken wing surface can only reach a maximum of 100°C. To keep the chicken wing surface temperature above 100°C, facilitate faster degreasing, shorten the cooking process, and reduce moisture loss within the chicken wings, the cooking temperature T2 should be > 140°C. This stage also allows the entire chicken wing to mature and the skin to undergo the Maillard reaction, producing an attractive aroma and color. The Maillard reaction requires heating to 150°C to enter the rapid reaction phase, so a T2 > 140°C also promotes color and flavor enhancement in the chicken wings. If the T2 temperature is too high, exceeding the smoke point of the oil, the oil removed from the chicken wings may decompose and produce smoke, posing a safety and nutritional risk. Therefore, T2 should be ≤ 230°C.

[0049] The hot air generated by the hot air component acts on the meat ingredients for a time period t3, 0.25t4≤t3<t4, where time t4 is the time required for the same amount of meat ingredients to mature at temperature T2. After preliminary pretreatment, the skin of the chicken wings is fully denatured, the fat is more easily melted and flowed away, and the internal muscles of the chicken wings are also somewhat denatured. Therefore, from the perspective of degreasing and baking, the baking time can be significantly shortened compared to the time t4 of baking the same chicken wings from scratch under the same air-frying conditions. In addition, due to the low moisture content of the skin, the Maillard reaction rate of the chicken wing skin will be faster. If the skin is still baked according to the t4 time, the skin will be burnt, which is likely to produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzopyrene, which are harmful to human health. If t3<0.25t4, the degreasing time is too short, the fat is not fully removed, and the inside of the chicken wings may even be undercooked.

[0050] Generally, hot air fried chicken wings are baked at 200°C for 16 minutes. Specifically in this embodiment, they can be pre-treated at 80°C for 30 minutes, then left to stand for 4 hours, and the above low-temperature pre-treatment process and the standing pre-treatment process are repeated 3 times, and then baked at 200°C for 11 minutes. This can avoid marinating the chicken wings in advance, and it can also be reserved. Through experimental comparison, the method in this application has a higher degree of degreasing than the traditional method, and the moisture content in the chicken wings is higher. The details are as follows:

[0051]

[0052] When hot air frying meat ingredients, a pretreatment stage is set up. Through the heating and cooling steps in the pretreatment stage, the water holding capacity of the meat ingredients is effectively improved during the degreasing process. In particular, after the specific low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process are adopted, the appropriate treatment time within a specific temperature range is used to promote the exudation of epidermal moisture and the destruction of fat tissue. At the same time, the loss of internal muscle moisture is avoided because of the low internal temperature. Then, the marinade is promoted to penetrate into the inside by standing for a long time to increase the water holding capacity of the internal muscle cells. Finally, high-temperature cooking reduces the viscosity and surface tension of the fat to make it flow away.

[0053] For the present invention, the specific embodiments are merely a limited list of solutions. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the drawings and the above specific embodiments. Any modifications that do not deviate from the functional and structural principles of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for cooking meat ingredients, comprising a cooking stage, wherein the ingredients are baked and cooked by hot air generated by a hot air component, characterized in that: A pretreatment stage is provided before the cooking stage. In the pretreatment stage, the meat ingredient is heated and then cooled at least once. The pretreatment stage includes a heating step for low-temperature pretreatment and a cooling step for static pretreatment. At the end of the static pretreatment process, the surface temperature of the meat ingredient is not greater than 50°C, and the meat ingredient is maintained in the cooking chamber for a preset time t during the pretreatment stage to improve the water holding capacity of the ingredient. The preset time t is not less than 1 hour.

2. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the low-temperature pretreatment process, ensure that the temperature in the cooking cavity is no greater than 200 degrees Celsius.

3. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the pretreatment stage, the low-temperature pretreatment process and the static pretreatment process are repeatedly run in an alternating cycle.

4. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of alternating cycles of the low-temperature treatment process and the static pretreatment process is n, where n is not greater than 6.

5. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the standing time of the standing pretreatment process is longer than 2 hours, a low-temperature pretreatment process is performed before the standing pretreatment process.

6. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 2, characterized in that: During the low-temperature treatment process, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T1, and the time for the hot air to act on the meat food is t1, 60℃<T1≤200℃. As the hot air temperature T1 increases, the time it acts on the meat food decreases to ensure that the temperature inside the food is not greater than 100℃.

7. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the static pretreatment process, the wind drive component of the hot air assembly works intermittently.

8. The cooking method of meat ingredients according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the cooking stage, the temperature of the hot air generated by the hot air component is set to T2, 140°C<T2≤230°C.

9. The method for cooking meat ingredients according to claim 8, characterized in that: During the cooking stage, the time for the hot air generated by the hot air component to act on the meat ingredients is t3, 0.25t4≤t3<t4, where time t4 is the time required for the same amount of meat ingredients to be cooked at temperature T2.

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