A method for making meatballs by multi-stage extrusion molding

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of meatballs made by multistage extrusion forming structure method, belong to food processing technical field.The application is aimed at the defect that one-time extrusion forming is easy to crack and drop slag, manual rubbing is poor in consistency, fixed mould forming has no level, abandon inherent thinking of one-step forming high pressure shaping, adopt wide pressure plastic shaping, narrow pressure lock fiber, three-stage decreasing extrusion structure, 70%-80% air inside meat paste is discharged in turn, meat fiber is directionally stretched and interlocked, is formed by multidirectional flexible rolling, flexible physical deformation throughout, no high pressure damage meat fiber, it can be realized by simple manual auxiliary structure, each process can be visualized and fine-tuned.The meatball made by the application has no cavity inside, good elasticity, resistant to boiling and not easy to scatter, uniform in size and retains hand-made flavor, and is suitable for processing of meatball, meat slip, bag heart meatball and various aquatic product meatball, and gives consideration to product quality, production efficiency and personalized production demand.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a method for making meatballs through a multi-stage extrusion molding structure. Background Technology

[0002] Meatballs, meat paste, meat noodles, stuffed meatballs, raw meatballs, and various aquatic product meatballs are mainstream products in my country's traditional meat and aquatic product processing industry, popular with consumers for their tender texture and convenience. Currently, the forming processes for these products are mainly divided into three categories: one-time extrusion molding, hand-rolling, and fixed mold forming. However, all three have significant shortcomings in actual production applications.

[0003] One-time extrusion molding technology is widely used in industrial mass production. It involves forcing minced meat into a mold under high pressure in a single operation. However, for products requiring a tender texture, such as meatballs and raw meatballs, the high pressure can severely damage the meat fiber structure, resulting in a dry and inelastic texture. For stuffed meatballs, uneven pressure on the outer skin can lead to inconsistent thickness, making it prone to leakage during steaming or boiling. For seafood balls like fish balls and shrimp balls, the delicate fibers of fish and shrimp are irreversibly broken by high pressure, causing the balls to fall apart easily and lack chewiness when boiled. Furthermore, the high-pressure one-time extrusion process prevents the complete expulsion of air from the minced meat, creating a structure that is dense on the outside but hollow inside. This results in cracking and crumbling after steaming or boiling, severely impacting product quality.

[0004] Hand-rolling meatballs is a traditional method of shaping meat, which, while preserving the integrity of meat fibers and the handmade flavor of the product to some extent, has many insurmountable drawbacks. For complex products such as meat-filled or stuffed meatballs, relying solely on the operator's feel makes it difficult to guarantee uniform meatball size and centered filling, resulting in poor product consistency. For raw meatballs, it is difficult to precisely control the force during hand-rolling, easily leading to a large amount of air remaining inside, which can cause cracking after refrigeration or freezing. At the same time, hand-rolling meatballs is time-consuming and labor-intensive, with extremely low production efficiency, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production, and the product quality is greatly affected by the operator's experience.

[0005] Fixed-mold forming technology uses prefabricated metal or plastic molds to press minced meat into shape. Its rigid structure makes it unsuitable for minced meat with varying textures. For example, meat paste has a thinner consistency, and aquatic product minced meat has lower viscosity; when formed using fixed molds, the minced meat adheres poorly to the mold, easily deforming after demolding and easily falling apart during boiling. For stuffed meatballs, the molds cannot achieve a flexible fit between the filling and the outer skin, easily leading to delamination. Furthermore, fixed molds have fixed sizes and shapes, lacking customization options and failing to quickly adjust the size and shape of the meatballs according to customer needs, making it difficult to meet diverse market demands. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a method for making meatballs through a multi-stage extrusion molding structure. This method abandons the traditional "one-step molding, high-pressure shaping" approach and adopts a three-stage decreasing extrusion structure: wide-pressure shaping → narrow-pressure fiber locking → micro-pressure rounding. This gradually removes air from the meat mixture, stretches and locks in the meat fibers, and compacts the texture. The entire process involves flexible physical deformation without strong pressure damaging the meat fibers. It requires no complex machinery and can be achieved using only a simple manual auxiliary structure. Furthermore, each stage of the process is visible and adjustable, adding a touch of handmade fun and effectively solving the aforementioned problems of existing molding technologies.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for producing meatballs through a multi-stage extrusion molding structure, comprising the following steps performed sequentially:

[0008] S1 Meat Mince Pretreatment: Mince fresh meat or aquatic products into a particle size of 3-8mm, add seasonings, and stir at a low temperature of 0-10℃ until the meat mince becomes sticky. Set aside.

[0009] S2 Wide-Surface Extrusion Shaping: A measured amount of pre-treated minced meat is placed between the first and second flexible extrusion surfaces. A first extrusion force is applied for wide-surface extrusion, causing the minced meat to deform uniformly over a large contact area, forming a flat meat patty with a thickness of 8-15 mm, while simultaneously expelling 70%-80% of the air from the minced meat. The first extrusion force is 0.05-0.15 MPa, and the ratio of the extrusion contact area to the initial volume of the minced meat is 15-25 cm². 2 / 100g;

[0010] S3 Narrow Compression and Fiber Locking: The flat meat patty is folded along a direction perpendicular to the natural direction of the meat fibers, and then placed between the first and second narrow compression surfaces. A second compression force is applied to compress the narrow surfaces, causing the meat paste to undergo directional deformation within a small contact area, forming meat strips with a rectangular cross-section, while simultaneously stretching and interlocking the meat fibers. The second compression force is 0.1-0.2 MPa, and is greater than the first compression force. The ratio of the compression contact area to the volume of the meat paste is 5-12 cm². 2 / 100g, and this ratio is less than the ratio in the wide compression molding step;

[0011] S4 Micro-pressure Rounding: The above-mentioned meat strips are divided into meat segments of equal volume, and then each meat segment is placed between at least three circumferentially distributed flexible rolling surfaces. A third extrusion force is applied for multi-directional micro-pressure rolling, so that the meat segments gradually form spherical meatballs without strong pressure damage. The third extrusion force is 0.02-0.08MPa, and the third extrusion force is less than the first extrusion force. During the rolling process, the contact angle between the meat segment and each rolling surface changes continuously, with a range of 0°-360°.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S2, both the first flexible extrusion surface and the second flexible extrusion surface are made of food-grade silicone material with a Shore hardness of 30-50 degrees; during the wide-pressure shaping process, the contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 170°-180°, and the extrusion time is 2-5 seconds.

[0013] Further, in step S3, the width of the first narrow extrusion surface and the second narrow extrusion surface are 5-12mm, and the length is 30-60mm; during the narrow extrusion and fiber locking process, the contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 90°-120°, and the extrusion time is 3-6 seconds; the number of folds is 1-3 times, and the interlacing angle of the meat fibers after each fold is 45°-90°.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S4, the flexible rolling surface is made of food-grade silicone material with a Shore hardness of 20-40 degrees; during the micro-pressure rolling process, each rolling surface rotates synchronously at the same linear speed of 5-15 cm / s, and the rolling time is 5-10 seconds; during the rolling process, the extrusion force on the meat segment is evenly distributed across the entire sphere.

[0015] Furthermore, steps S2 to S4 are all manually operated, with extrusion pressure applied through a lever mechanism or a screw mechanism. The extrusion pressure can be continuously fine-tuned through an adjustment mechanism. Each extrusion process is a visual operation, and the operator can adjust the extrusion pressure and extrusion time in real time according to the state of the minced meat.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S3, the narrow compression and fiber locking step can be repeated 1-2 times. Each time it is repeated, the meat strip is rotated 90° and then the narrow surface is squeezed again, so that the meat fibers form an interlocking structure in multiple directions.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S4, the micro-pressure rolling step can be divided into two stages: the first stage is the initial rolling stage, in which a pressure of 0.05-0.08 MPa is applied to make the meat segments initially form a spherical shape; the second stage is the fine rolling stage, in which a pressure of 0.02-0.05 MPa is applied to make the surface of the meatball smoother and rounder.

[0018] Furthermore, the ratio of the first extrusion pressure, the second extrusion pressure, and the third extrusion pressure is 1:(1.2-2):(0.3-0.6); the ratio of the extrusion contact area of ​​the three steps of wide extrusion shaping, narrow extrusion fiber locking, and micro extrusion rounding is (3-5):(1-2):1.

[0019] Furthermore, in step S1, during the pretreatment of the minced meat, 5%-15% starch, 1%-3% egg white, and 0.1%-0.3% edible salt can be added according to the total mass of the minced meat; the temperature of the minced meat is always controlled below 10℃ during the stirring process.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes step S5: immediately placing the shaped meatballs into hot water at 70-80℃ for pre-cooking and shaping for 10-20 minutes, so that the proteins inside the meatballs slowly cross-link and solidify, forming a stable three-dimensional network structure.

[0021] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages compared with the prior art:

[0022] 1. Significantly Improved Product Quality: Through a three-stage decreasing extrusion structure, the wide-pressure shaping stage achieves a large contact area, evenly expelling 70%-80% of the air from the minced meat, fundamentally solving the problem of internal voids; the narrow-pressure fiber-locking stage directionally stretches and interlocks the meat fibers, forming a stable three-dimensional network structure, greatly improving the product's elasticity and firmness; the micro-pressure rounding stage provides flexible shaping, resulting in smooth and round meatballs that are less prone to cracking and crumbling after steaming or boiling. (Testing results are available.)

[0023] 2. Good product consistency and preservation of handmade flavor: Quantitative material taking combined with equal volume division ensures uniform size of the meatballs; multi-stage extrusion structure assists in molding, reducing the difficulty of manual operation, while retaining the flexibility and fun of manual operation. The product has a unique handmade flavor, which is different from industrially produced products.

[0024] 3. Wide range of applications: The flexible extrusion surface can adapt to different textures of minced meat, including thinner meat paste and less viscous aquatic product minced meat; each process can be finely adjusted according to product characteristics, and can make meatballs of different sizes and shapes, as well as complex products such as stuffed meatballs and raw meatballs, fully covering the forming needs of meatballs, meat paste, meat noodles, stuffed meatballs, raw meatballs and various aquatic product meatballs.

[0025] 4. Simple equipment and low cost: No complicated machinery or equipment is required; it can be achieved with only a simple manual lever or screw-assisted structure. At the same time, it is easy to operate, requires no professional training, and is suitable for small-batch production, on-site production and sales in stores, and personalized customization.

[0026] 5. High production efficiency: Compared with traditional manual pellet rolling, the production efficiency of this invention is improved, and the product quality is stable and not affected by the operator's experience, which can meet the needs of medium-scale production.

[0027] Other advantages, objectives and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination or study, or may be learned from the practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is an overall flow chart of the multi-stage extrusion molding meatball production method of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wide compression molding process of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the narrow compression fiber-locking step structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the micro-pressure rounding step structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "up," "down," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains; the terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention; the term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0035] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the manual multi-stage extrusion molding device used in this invention comprises four parts: a base, a wide-pressure shaping mechanism, a narrow-pressure fiber-locking mechanism, and a micro-pressure rounding mechanism. The wide-pressure shaping mechanism includes an upper pressure plate and a lower pressure plate, with a first flexible extrusion surface on the opposing surfaces of both plates. The narrow-pressure fiber-locking mechanism includes an upper narrow pressure plate and a lower narrow pressure plate, with a first narrow extrusion surface on the opposing surfaces of both plates. The micro-pressure rounding mechanism includes three rolling rollers distributed in a 120° circumference, each with a flexible rolling surface on its outer surface. All of the above mechanisms apply extrusion pressure via a manual lever mechanism and are equipped with a pressure adjustment knob for continuous fine-tuning of the extrusion pressure.

[0036] Step S1: Minced Meat Pretreatment

[0037] Remove the tendons and fat from the fresh meat and grind it into a paste with a particle size of 5mm using a meat grinder. Add 10% cornstarch, 2% egg white, 0.2% salt, and appropriate amounts of minced ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, and white pepper powder, according to the total weight of the meat paste. Place the mixed meat paste in a low-temperature environment of 0-4℃ and mix it with a mixer at medium speed for 15 minutes, until the meat paste becomes sticky and its viscosity increases significantly.

[0038] Mincing the meat into particles of 3-8mm ensures the integrity of the meat fibers and allows for even distribution of seasonings. Stirring at a low temperature of 0-10℃ effectively prevents protein denaturation and maintains the water retention and elasticity of the minced meat. Stirring until the minced meat becomes gelatinous allows the salt-soluble proteins in the minced meat to dissolve fully, laying the foundation for the subsequent binding of meat fibers.

[0039] Step S2 Wide compression molding

[0040] Take 100g of pre-treated minced meat and evenly place it on the first flexible extrusion surface of the lower platen of the wide-pressure shaping mechanism. The first flexible extrusion surface is made of food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 40 and an area of ​​20cm². 2 Press down on the operating handle of the wide-pressure shaping mechanism to apply a first extrusion force of 0.1 MPa through the lever mechanism, causing the upper and lower pressure plates to close. The contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 175°, and the extrusion time is 3 seconds. After extrusion, the minced meat forms a flat meat patty with a thickness of 10 mm.

[0041] The use of a flexible extrusion surface with a large contact area for wide-area extrusion allows the minced meat to deform slowly under uniform force, expelling 70%-80% of the air inside the minced meat and fundamentally solving the problem of internal voids caused by traditional one-time high-pressure extrusion; the low extrusion pressure of 0.05-0.15MPa does not damage the meat fiber structure, ensuring the tender taste of the product; the food-grade silicone flexible extrusion surface has good adhesion to the minced meat and will not cause the minced meat to stick together.

[0042] Step S3 Narrow Compression Fiber Lock

[0043] The flat meat patty is folded once along a direction perpendicular to the natural direction of the meat fibers, creating a 60° staggered angle between the fibers. The folded patty is then placed on the first narrow extrusion surface of the lower narrow pressure plate of the narrow pressure-locking fiber mechanism. This first narrow extrusion surface is made of food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 40, and is 8mm wide and 45mm long. The operating handle of the narrow pressure-locking fiber mechanism is pressed down, applying a second extrusion force of 0.15MPa through a lever mechanism. The contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 105° for 4 seconds. After extrusion, the minced meat forms a rectangular strip with a cross-section of 8mm × 10mm.

[0044] Folding and narrow-face extrusion along a direction perpendicular to the natural direction of meat fibers can directionally stretch the meat fibers, causing them to interlock and tightly interlock, forming a stable three-dimensional network structure, which greatly improves the elasticity and firmness of the product; the extrusion pressure of 0.1-0.2MPa is greater than that of the wide-pressure shaping stage, which can further compact the meat texture without destroying the integrity of the meat fibers; the narrow extrusion surface causes the meat to undergo directional deformation with a small contact area, ensuring the directionality and consistency of the meat fiber stretching.

[0045] Step S4: Micro-pressure rounding

[0046] The rectangular meat strips were cut into 10 equal-sized segments, each weighing approximately 10g. One segment was placed between the three rollers of a micro-pressure rounding mechanism. The flexible rolling surfaces of the rollers were made of food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 30. The operating handle of the micro-pressure rounding mechanism was rotated, causing the three rollers to rotate synchronously at a linear speed of 10cm / s. A third extrusion force of 0.05MPa was applied simultaneously for multi-directional micro-pressure rolling for 7 seconds. The first 3 seconds were the initial rolling stage, with an extrusion force of 0.06MPa, to initially shape the meat segment into a spherical shape; the following 4 seconds were the fine rolling stage, with an extrusion force of 0.04MPa, to make the meatball surface smoother and rounder.

[0047] Three circumferentially distributed flexible rolling surfaces are used for multi-directional micro-pressure rolling, which allows the meat segments to gradually form a spherical shape without strong pressure damage, ensuring the regularity of the meatball shape and the smoothness of the surface; the micro-pressure of 0.02-0.08MPa is much lower than the pressure of traditional forming methods, and will not damage the already formed three-dimensional network structure of meat fibers; during the rolling process, the contact angle between the meat segment and each rolling surface changes continuously, so that the force is evenly distributed in all parts of the meatball, avoiding the problem of local over-tightness or over-looseness.

[0048] Step S5: Pre-cooking and shaping

[0049] Immediately place the shaped meatballs into 75℃ hot water for 15 minutes to pre-cook and set their shape. Maintain a stable water temperature during pre-cooking to avoid vigorous boiling. Once pre-cooked, remove the meatballs and drain.

[0050] Pre-cooking and shaping in low-temperature hot water at 70-80℃ allows the proteins inside the meatballs to slowly cross-link and solidify, further stabilizing the three-dimensional network structure of the meat fibers and improving the product's resistance to cooking and elasticity. Slow heating avoids the problem of expansion and cracking caused by a rapid increase in the internal temperature of the meatballs.

[0051] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure, characterized in that, The following steps are performed sequentially: S1 Meat Mince Pretreatment: Mince fresh meat into a particle size of 3-8mm, add seasonings, and stir at a low temperature of 0-10℃ until the meat mince becomes sticky. Set aside. S2 Wide-Surface Extrusion Shaping: A measured amount of pre-treated minced meat is placed between the first and second flexible extrusion surfaces. A first extrusion force is applied for wide-surface extrusion, causing the minced meat to deform uniformly over a large contact area, forming a flat meat patty with a thickness of 8-15 mm, while simultaneously expelling 70%-80% of the air from the minced meat. The first extrusion force is 0.05-0.15 MPa, and the ratio of the extrusion contact area to the initial volume of the minced meat is 15-25 cm². 2 / 100g; S3 Narrow Compression and Fiber Locking: The flat meat patty is folded along a direction perpendicular to the natural direction of the meat fibers, and then placed between the first and second narrow compression surfaces. A second compression force is applied to compress the narrow surfaces, causing the meat paste to undergo directional deformation within a small contact area, forming meat strips with a rectangular cross-section, while simultaneously stretching and interlocking the meat fibers. The second compression force is 0.1-0.2 MPa, and is greater than the first compression force. The ratio of the compression contact area to the volume of the meat paste is 5-12 cm². 2 / 100g, and this ratio is less than the ratio in the wide compression molding step; S4 Micro-pressure Rounding: The above-mentioned meat strips are divided into meat segments of equal volume, and then each meat segment is placed between at least three circumferentially distributed flexible rolling surfaces. A third extrusion force is applied for multi-directional micro-pressure rolling, so that the meat segments gradually form spherical meatballs without strong pressure damage. The third extrusion force is 0.02-0.08MPa, and the third extrusion force is less than the first extrusion force. During the rolling process, the contact angle between the meat segment and each rolling surface changes continuously, with a range of 0°-360°.

2. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, both the first and second flexible extrusion surfaces are made of food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 30-50 degrees. During the wide-pressure shaping process, the contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 170°-180°, and the extrusion time is 2-5 seconds.

3. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the width of the first narrow extrusion surface and the width of the second narrow extrusion surface are 5-12mm, and the length is 30-60mm; during the narrow extrusion and fiber locking process, the contact angle between the extrusion surface and the minced meat is maintained at 90°-120°, and the extrusion time is 3-6 seconds; the number of folds is 1-3 times, and the interlacing angle of the meat fibers after each fold is 45°-90°.

4. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the flexible rolling surface is made of food-grade silicone with a Shore hardness of 20-40 degrees. During the micro-pressure rolling process, each rolling surface rotates synchronously at the same linear speed of 5-15 cm / s and the rolling time is 5-10 seconds. During the rolling process, the squeezing force on the meat segment is evenly distributed across the entire sphere.

5. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Steps S2 to S4 are all manually operated, with pressure applied through a lever or screw mechanism. The pressure can be continuously fine-tuned through an adjustment mechanism. Each stage of the extrusion process is visualized, and the operator can adjust the pressure and extrusion time in real time according to the state of the minced meat.

6. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the narrow compression and fiber locking step can be repeated 1-2 times. Each time it is repeated, the meat strip is rotated 90° and then the narrow surface is squeezed again, so that the meat fibers form an interlocking structure in multiple directions.

7. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the micro-pressure rounding step can be divided into two stages: the first stage is the initial rolling stage, in which a pressure of 0.05-0.08 MPa is applied to make the meat segments initially form spherical shapes; The second stage is the fine rolling stage, where a pressure of 0.02-0.05 MPa is applied to make the surface of the meatballs smoother and rounder.

8. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of the first extrusion pressure, the second extrusion pressure, and the third extrusion pressure is 1:(1.2-2):(0.3-0.6); the ratio of the extrusion contact area of ​​the three steps of wide-pressure shaping, narrow-pressure fiber locking, and micro-pressure rounding is (3-5):(1-2):

1.

9. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, during the pretreatment of minced meat, 5%-15% starch, 1%-3% egg white and 0.1%-0.3% edible salt can be added according to the total mass of minced meat; the temperature of minced meat is always controlled below 10℃ during the stirring process.

10. The method for producing meatballs using a multi-stage extrusion molding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes step S5: immediately placing the shaped meatballs into hot water at 70-80℃ for pre-cooking and shaping for 10-20 minutes, so that the proteins inside the meatballs slowly cross-link and solidify, forming a stable three-dimensional network structure.

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