Manufacturing method of heat-processed food

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a heat-processed food having a highly juicy taste. [Solution] A method for producing a heated processed food, comprising the following steps: (i) adding seasonings to ingredients; (ii) applying egg white and carbohydrates to the entire surface of the ingredients after step (i); and (iii) cooking the ingredients after step (ii).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a heat-processed food. [Background technology]

[0002] Pre-cooked frozen fried foods and pre-cooked fried foods sold in convenience stores, supermarkets, and other prepared food sections are required to have a juicy and crispy texture for the ingredients and to maintain this for a long period of time. Known methods for imparting a crispy texture to fried foods include, for example, mixing granular breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, or the like into the coating (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, methods for maintaining the texture of fried foods have been reported, including the use of coating materials containing, for example, sugar alcohols (Patent Document 2) and egg white powder (Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-46712 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-300198 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-78460 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 makes it difficult to maintain texture for a long period of time. Furthermore, fried foods with improved juiciness and crispiness compared to the fried foods produced by the methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are desired. Furthermore, not limited to fried foods, there is a demand for heat-processed foods that maintain a high level of juiciness by minimizing the reduction in the juiciness of ingredients caused by heating. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing heat-processed foods with a high level of juiciness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors discovered that in the production of heat-processed foods, coating the surface of the ingredients with egg white and carbohydrates before heating allows the juiciness of the ingredients to be maintained to a high degree after heating, leading to the completion of the present invention.

[0006] That is, the present invention provides the following. (1) the following steps: (i) adding seasonings to ingredients; (ii) applying egg white and sugar to the entire surface of the filling after step (i); and (iii) a step of cooking the ingredients after step (ii) A method for producing a heat-processed food, comprising: (2) The method according to (1), further comprising the step (ii') of applying a coating material to the surface of the ingredient after step (ii) and before step (iii). (3) The method according to (2), wherein the cooking in step (iii) is cooking in oil, and the heat-processed food is a fried food. (4) The method according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the step (ii) is a step of applying a coating liquid containing egg white and a carbohydrate to the surface of the ingredient. (5) The method according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the carbohydrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols, and polysaccharides. (6) The method according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the carbohydrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of sucrose, trehalose, and reduced starch syrup. (7) The method according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the amount of the egg white applied is 0.1 to 10.0% of the weight of the ingredient. (8) The method according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the amount of the carbohydrate to be applied is 0.05 to 5.0% based on the weight of the ingredient. (9) A heat-processed food produced by the method according to any one of (1) to (8). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention makes it possible to provide a method for producing a heat-processed food that has a highly juicy texture. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an outline of a method for producing a heated processed food product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this specification, "A to B" (A and B are numerical values) means "A or more and B or less" unless otherwise specified. "%" used in this specification means "% by weight" unless otherwise specified.

[0010] 1. Manufacturing method of heat-processed foods A first embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a heat-processed food. The method of this embodiment is characterized by including the following steps: (i) adding seasonings to ingredients; (ii) applying egg white and sugar to the entire surface of the filling after step (i); and (iii) A step of cooking the ingredients after step (ii). According to the method of this embodiment, the process of adding seasoning and the process of applying egg white and carbohydrates to the surface are carried out separately, and then heating is performed, thereby making it possible to obtain a heated processed food that retains the juiciness of the ingredients.

[0011] The method of this embodiment may further include the following step after step (ii) and before step (iii). (ii') A step of applying a coating material to the surface of the ingredients. When the method includes step (ii'), it is preferable that the cooking in step (iii) is cooking in oil, and the produced heat-processed food is a fried food. By the method of this embodiment, a fried food can be obtained in which the juiciness of the ingredients is maintained and the crispness of the surface is maintained for a long time.

[0012] In this specification, "ingredients" refers to the foodstuffs themselves that are to be cooked by heat, and specifically, it can be a single ingredient such as meat, fish, or vegetables that has been pre-processed, or a mixture of ingredients that has been cooked and shaped. In this specification, "cooking by heat" refers to cooking that applies heat to ingredients, and specific examples include baking (baking), boiling, stir-frying, steaming (steaming), and deep-frying.

[0013] In this specification, the term "heat-processed food" refers to processed foods in which ingredients are cooked by heating, packaged, or otherwise distributed on the market, and which are typically eaten as is or after being heated or warmed to an appropriate temperature. Examples of heat-processed foods include steamed chicken, chicken steak, hamburger steak, and fried foods.

[0014] As used herein, "fried food" refers to food obtained by deep-frying ingredients, such as fried chicken, tempura, cutlets, and fritters. Fried foods include foods in which ingredients are deep-fried directly, but typically refer to foods in which ingredients are deep-fried with the surface covered with a batter. As used herein, "batter" refers to a coating used to coat ingredients that are deep-fried, and primarily has the effects of imparting a crispy texture after cooking and preventing the ingredients from overheating. Batters are generally broadly divided into liquid batters (batter liquid) and powdered breaders (breading powder).

[0015] As used herein, the term "batter" refers to a liquid coating material, and is not particularly limited, but is usually prepared by dissolving wheat flour, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, etc. in water. In addition to these, the batter may also contain leavening agents, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, colorings, pH adjusters, etc.

[0016] As used herein, "breading flour" refers to a powdered coating material and is typically prepared by mixing, but not limited to, powders of wheat flour, starch, oils and fats, seasonings, spices, etc. Breading flour may also contain leavening agents, emulsifiers, thickening polysaccharides, colorings, etc. Furthermore, bread crumbs, cracker flour, rice flour, corn flour, or corn grits may be mixed into breading flour to enhance the crispy texture.

[0017] As used herein, "frying" refers to a cooking technique in which ingredients are heated by bringing them into contact with heated edible oil. The edible oil used is not particularly limited as long as it is an oil typically used in frying, and any of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, lard, beef tallow, palm oil, etc., or mixtures thereof, can be used as ingredients. "Edible oil" as used here includes not only the above-mentioned oil and fat materials themselves, but also oil and fat compositions in which emulsifiers, antioxidants (e.g., vitamin E), etc., have been added to the above-mentioned oil and fat materials. It is desirable to use an amount of edible oil during frying that exceeds the amount sufficient to completely submerge the ingredients.

[0018] The temperature for frying varies depending on the ingredients and is not particularly limited, but can be 150 to 200°C, particularly 160 to 180°C. The time for frying is also not particularly limited, but can be 0.5 to 10 minutes, particularly 1 to 7 minutes. After frying, the ingredients are removed from the edible oil and drained to obtain a fried food.

[0019] In this specification, the term "egg white" is not particularly limited and includes any of fresh egg white, frozen egg white, dried egg white, etc. Hereinafter, the weight of egg white is indicated as the amount equivalent to fresh egg white.

[0020] As used herein, "carbohydrate" refers to carbohydrates excluding dietary fiber, and more specifically refers to sugars, oligosaccharides, and sugar alcohols. As used herein, "sugars" encompasses both monosaccharides and disaccharides. Known examples of monosaccharides include, but are not limited to, glucose, fructose, and galactose. Known examples of disaccharides include, but are not limited to, maltose, sucrose, lactose, and trehalose. As used herein, "oligosaccharide" refers to an oligomer of three or more sugars with a molecular weight of 3,000 or less. As used herein, "sugar alcohol" refers to a substance obtained by reducing the carbonyl group of a sugar. Known examples of sugar alcohols include, but are not limited to, erythritol, glycerin, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, and reduced starch syrup. Hereinafter, the weight of a sugar, particularly reduced starch syrup, refers to the solids equivalent.

[0021] An outline of the method of this embodiment is shown as a flow diagram in Figure 1. Below, each step of the method of this embodiment will be explained.

[0022] 1-1 Step (i) Seasoning Step (i) of the method of this embodiment is a step of adding seasoning to ingredients. Specifically, it is a step of seasoning the ingredients. The method of adding seasoning is not particularly limited as long as the ingredients are seasoned as desired, and any existing method can be used. When applying seasoning to the outside of an ingredient, for example, a method of immersing the ingredients in a seasoning liquid or a method of sprinkling powdered seasoning on the ingredients can be used. For example, a method of vacuum tumbling the ingredients and seasoning using a vacuum tumbler to allow the seasoning to penetrate into the ingredients can be used. Alternatively, in the case of ingredients that can be mixed with seasonings, such as minced meat or mashed potatoes, a method of mixing the ingredients and seasoning using a mixer or the like can be used.

[0023] The method of this embodiment has the advantage that the flavor of the seasoned ingredients is more likely to be maintained even after heating and over time by including a seasoning step before the subsequent step (ii).

[0024] 1-2 Step (ii) Coating Step (ii) of the method of this embodiment is a step of coating the entire surface of the ingredient after step (i) with egg white and sugar. Egg white and sugar can usually be added to the seasoning used in step (i), the coating material in the subsequent step (ii'), or the dusting powder. However, the method of this embodiment is characterized by including a step of independently applying egg white and sugar, separate from steps (i), (ii'), and the dusting powder. For example, when egg white and sugar are added to the seasoning in step (i), step (i) is a step for allowing the seasoning to penetrate or mix into the ingredient, and it is difficult to simultaneously form a stable thin layer of egg white and sugar on the surface of the ingredient. Furthermore, mixing with other seasonings can result in problems such as a low concentration of egg white and sugar and being affected by other ingredients, making it difficult to form a stable thin layer on the surface of the ingredient. On the other hand, when egg white and carbohydrates are added to the coating material or dusting powder in step (ii'), problems arise, such as a low concentration of egg white and carbohydrates and influence from other ingredients, making it difficult to form a stable thin layer on the surface of the ingredients. Step (ii) allows a thin layer containing a high concentration of egg white and carbohydrates to be stably present on the surface of the ingredients, and furthermore, heating in a steam oven or the like forms a thin film on the surface of the ingredients, preventing the moisture and flavor of the ingredients from being lost due to heating or the passage of time. Heating may be performed after step (ii'), but is more effective if it is performed immediately after step (ii).

[0025] Any of fresh egg white, frozen egg white, and dried egg white may be used as the egg white, but frozen egg white is preferred from the viewpoint of storage stability, etc. The amount of egg white to be applied is preferably 0.1 to 10.0%, particularly 0.5 to 5.0%, and even more preferably 1.0 to 3.0%, based on the weight of the ingredient.

[0026] The viscosity of the egg white to be coated affects the thickness of the coating formed during heating. Typically, frozen egg white tends to have a lower viscosity than fresh egg white. To achieve a desired coating thickness, the viscosity of the egg white may be adjusted by adding a thickener to the egg white or by separately adding a thickener. The thickener is not particularly limited, but examples of usable thickeners include starch, modified starch, pectin, guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, carrageenan, methylcellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose.

[0027] Any carbohydrate may be used, but monosaccharides, disaccharides, and sugar alcohols are particularly preferred. In particular, disaccharides such as trehalose and sucrose, sugar alcohols such as reduced starch syrup, monosaccharides such as glucose, polysaccharides such as starch, and others such as starch syrup are particularly preferred.

[0028] The amount of carbohydrate to be applied is preferably 0.05 to 5.0% of the weight of the ingredient, particularly 0.2 to 3.0%, and even more preferably 0.5 to 2.0%. If the amount of carbohydrate applied is small, it becomes difficult to maintain a high level of juiciness, but on the other hand, depending on the type of heat-processed food, containing a large amount of carbohydrate can have a significant impact on the taste. It is desirable to adjust the amount of carbohydrate applied appropriately within the above range depending on the type of heat-processed food.

[0029] The egg white and carbohydrates can be applied to the ingredients using, for example, a tumbler mixer. Unlike step (i), the egg white and carbohydrates need to be present in a thin layer on the surface of the ingredients rather than soaked into the ingredients. Therefore, it is preferable to apply them under normal pressure rather than under vacuum conditions. The application time is sufficient to cover the entire surface with the egg white and carbohydrates, and is preferably short to prevent the egg white and carbohydrates from soaking into the ingredients. The total application time is preferably within 30 minutes, 20 minutes, or 15 minutes.

[0030] The egg white and carbohydrates may be applied separately to the ingredients, or they may be mixed in advance to prepare a coating liquid, which is then applied to the ingredients. When applied separately to the ingredients, it is preferable that essentially no other ingredients are applied until the application of both ingredients is complete. However, if necessary, other ingredients such as a thickener, water, etc. may be applied at the same time. In this case, the amount of ingredients other than egg white and carbohydrates applied is preferably 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 14% or less, 13% or less, 12% or less, 11% or less, 10% or less, 9% or less, 8% or less, 7% or less, 6% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the total coating. When a coating liquid is used, it is preferable that the coating liquid essentially consists of egg white and carbohydrate, but may contain other ingredients such as a thickener, water, etc., if necessary. In this case, the content of ingredients other than egg white and carbohydrates in the coating liquid is preferably 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 14% or less, 13% or less, 12% or less, 11% or less, 10% or less, 9% or less, 8% or less, 7% or less, 6% or less, 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less. When reduced starch syrup is used as the carbohydrate, reduced starch syrup typically contains about 25 to 30% water, and in this specification, this water is included in the "ingredients other than egg white and carbohydrates."

[0031] The mixing ratio of egg white to carbohydrate in the coating liquid is preferably 1:0.1 to 1:2 by weight, particularly preferably 1:0.2 to 1:1.5, and even more preferably 1:0.3 to 1:1.

[0032] 1-3 Step (ii') Coating Step (ii') of the method of this embodiment is a step of applying a coating material to the surface of the ingredient after step (ii). After step (ii) and before step (ii'), heating by steam heating or the like may be performed. In this case, the egg white can be made into a coating before the coating, further enhancing the juiciness of the ingredient. Step (ii') is a step that is mainly applied when the heat-processed food is a fried food. The step of applying a coating material may include applying a batter liquid or a breading powder, or both. The application of the batter liquid and the breading powder may each be performed once or multiple times.

[0033] The method of applying the batter is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied so that the entire surface of the ingredient is covered with the batter to a certain thickness or more, and any method such as immersion, showering, brushing, etc. may be used, but immersion is particularly preferred for application. Alternatively, the batter may be applied automatically using a battering machine.

[0034] The method for applying breading flour is not particularly limited as long as it can be applied so that the entire surface of the ingredient is covered with breading flour. For example, the coated ingredient may be placed in a flat container such as a tray containing breading flour, and then breading flour may be sprinkled on top, or a flour duster or breading machine may be used.

[0035] 1-4 Step (iii) Heating Step (iii) of the method of this embodiment is a step of cooking the ingredients after step (ii) or the ingredients after step (ii'). The cooking method is not particularly limited, but baking, steaming, or deep-frying is preferred. Heating conditions such as temperature and time can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of desired heat-processed food and ingredients. When step (ii') is included, cooking by deep-frying is preferred.

[0036] 1-5 Other processes The method of the present invention may include a step of packaging and a step of storing the thermally processed food obtained in step (iii). The method of the present invention may also include other steps before step (i), between the above steps, and / or after step (iii).

[0037] The other steps are not particularly limited, but for example, when step (ii') is included, a step of sprinkling flour after step (ii) and before step (ii') may be included. The dusting flour is not particularly limited, but potato starch, wheat flour, etc. may be used. Furthermore, step (ii') may include a step of removing excess batter liquid adhering to the surface of the ingredients (a step of draining excess liquid) and / or a step of removing excess breading powder adhering to the surface of the ingredients (a step of brushing off excess powder).

[0038] For example, the method of the present embodiment may include a step of applying steam at a temperature above 90°C to the ingredients after step (iii). When cooking by deep frying, baking, or the like, depending on the ingredients, the surface may burn while the inside is not heated sufficiently. By adding a steam heating treatment, it becomes possible to heat the ingredients sufficiently to the inside without burning the surface.

[0039] The heat-processed food produced by the method of this embodiment may be flash-frozen for storage and distribution, if necessary. Flash-freezing makes it easier to store and distribute the food while maintaining its juiciness. The frozen heat-processed food can be made edible by, for example, cooking it again.

[0040] 2.Heat-processed foods A second embodiment of the present invention is a heat-processed food. The heat-processed food of this embodiment is characterized by being produced by the method described in the section "1. Method for producing heat-processed food." The heat-processed food of this embodiment has a high juiciness due to being produced by the above method. When the heat-processed food is a fried food, in addition to being highly juicy, the crispness is maintained for a long time.

[0041] The materials used for the ingredients, coatings, etc. of the heat-processed food of this embodiment are as described in the section "1. Method for producing fried food." [Example]

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0043] [Reference Example] Fried Chicken Production (1) Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler along with seasonings and tumbled under vacuum for 1 hour to be seasoned. The seasoned chicken breast meat and 0.1% (Test Example 2), 0.5% (Test Example 3), 2% (Test Example 4), and 5% (Test Example 5) of frozen egg white, based on the weight of the original chicken breast meat, were placed in the vacuum tumbler and tumbled at normal pressure for 10 minutes to coat the pieces. An uncoated sample was prepared as a control (Test Example 1). After coating, each piece of chicken breast meat was coated by sprinkling breading powder on top. The coated chicken breast meat was placed in cooking oil at 170°C, deep-fried for 1 minute, and then removed from the oil. After deep-frying, the chicken breast meat was heated in a steam oven at 110°C for 7 minutes to produce 17–18 pieces of fried chicken. The fried chicken pieces were frozen at −18°C.

[0044] Table 1 shows the weight (total) changes and yields before and after cooking for Test Examples 1 to 5. In particular, it was confirmed that Test Examples 3 to 5 had higher yields than the control Test Example 1. Coating the ingredients with egg white after seasoning and before battering suppressed the decrease in yield due to heating, suggesting that coating with egg white suppresses the evaporation of moisture from the ingredients during heating.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] [Example 1] Fried chicken production (2) Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler together with seasonings and tumbled under vacuum for 1 hour to be seasoned. The seasoned chicken breast meat and 2% raw egg white based on the weight of the original chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler and tumbled at normal pressure for 10 minutes to be coated (Test Example 6). Separately, the seasoned chicken breast meat and 2% frozen egg white based on the weight of the original chicken breast meat and 1% reduced starch syrup (70% solids, amount added based on the weight of the solids) were placed in a vacuum tumbler and tumbled at normal pressure for 10 minutes to be coated (Test Example 7). Each chicken breast meat was coated by dusting it with breading powder. The coated chicken breast meat was placed in cooking oil at 170°C, deep-fried for 1 minute, and then removed from the cooking oil. After deep frying, the chicken breasts were heated in a steam oven at 110°C for 7 minutes to produce seven pieces of fried chicken. The fried chicken pieces were then frozen at -18°C.

[0047] Table 2 shows the weight, average weight, and standard deviation of each of the fried chicken pieces in Test Examples 6 and 7. It was confirmed that the weight of the fried chicken pieces in Test Example 7 was significantly higher than the weight of the fried chicken pieces in Test Example 6. This indicates that adding carbohydrates to egg whites improves the yield of fried chicken pieces.

[0048] [Table 2]

[0049] [Example 2] Fried chicken production (3) Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler along with seasonings and tumbled under vacuum for 1 hour for marination. The marinated chicken breasts were then coated with 2% frozen egg white (based on the weight of the original chicken breast meat) and 0.5% (Test Example 8), 1.0% (Test Example 9), or 2.0% (Test Example 10) of reduced starch syrup (70% solids, amount added based on the weight of the solids) based on the weight of the original chicken breast meat. The coated chicken breasts were then dusted with flour, dipped in batter in a tray, and then coated with breading flour. The coated chicken breasts were then placed in 170°C cooking oil, deep-fried for 1 minute, and removed from the cooking oil. After deep frying, the chicken breast meat was heated in a steam oven at 110°C for 7 minutes to obtain 12-13 pieces of fried chicken. The fried chicken was then frozen at -18°C.

[0050] Table 3 shows the weight (total) changes and yields before and after cooking for Test Examples 8 to 10. Test Example 9 was confirmed to have the highest yield.

[0051] [Table 3]

[0052] [Example 3] Fried chicken production (4) Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler together with seasonings and tumbled under vacuum for 1 hour to be seasoned. The seasoned chicken breast meat, along with the egg white and carbohydrates shown in Table 4, were each placed in a vacuum tumbler and tumbled at normal pressure for 10 minutes to coat. Coating was omitted for Test Example 11 (control). After coating, each chicken breast meat was dusted with flour, dipped in batter in a tray, and then coated with breading flour. After coating, the chicken breasts were placed in cooking oil at 170°C, deep-fried for 1 minute, and then removed from the oil. After deep-frying, the chicken breasts were heated in a steam oven at 110°C for 7 minutes to obtain fried chicken. After heating, the fried chicken was left to stand at room temperature for 8 hours.

[0053] [Table 4]

[0054] A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of seven people regarding the texture of the fried chicken of Test Examples 11 to 16. The seven panelists tasted the fried chicken of Test Examples 11 to 16 and evaluated the juiciness, softness, and crispness of the coating. The evaluation criteria for each evaluation item were set as follows, with the control being rated "0". <Juicy> -3: Strong dryness; -2: Dry feeling; -1: A little dry; 0: Juiciness equivalent to the control; 1: Slightly juicy; 2: Juicy; 3: Has a strong juicy taste. <Softness> -3: Quite hard; -2: hard; -1: slightly hard; 0: softness equivalent to the control; 1: slightly soft; 2: soft; 3: Quite soft. <Crispy batter> -3: Almost no crispiness; -2: Less crispy; -1: A little less crispy; 0: Crispy as much as the control; 1: A little crispy; 2: Very crispy; 3: It has a very strong crispy texture.

[0055] The average evaluation results for each evaluation item by the seven panelists are shown in Table 5. Test Examples 12 to 16 all had higher evaluation results in all evaluation items compared to the control Test Example 11. Furthermore, Test Examples 13 to 16 all had higher evaluation results in all evaluation items compared to Test Example 12, which had no added carbohydrate.

[0056] [Table 5]

[0057] [Example 4] Fried chicken production (5) Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast meat were placed in a vacuum tumbler along with seasonings and tumbled under vacuum for 1 hour for seasoning. The seasoned chicken breast meat and 2% frozen egg white and 1% reduced starch syrup (70% solids, amount based on solids weight) were then placed in a vacuum tumbler and coated at atmospheric pressure for 10 minutes. After coating, each chicken breast was dusted with flour and dipped in batter in a tray, then coated with breading flour. The coated chicken breasts were placed in cooking oil at 170°C, deep-fried for 1 minute, and removed from the oil. After deep-frying, the chicken breasts were heated in a steam oven at 110°C for 7 minutes to produce 12 to 13 pieces of fried chicken (Test Example 18).

[0058] Fried chicken was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 18, except that the application of frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup after seasoning was omitted and instead a batter containing frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup was used (Test Example 19). The amounts of frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup to be mixed into the batter were adjusted by measuring the average weight of the batter adhering to the surface of a piece of chicken breast meat in advance, and adjusting the amounts of frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup applied to the surface of the meat to be 2% and 1%, respectively, of the weight of the meat. Fried chicken was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 18, except that the application of frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup after seasoning was omitted (Test Example 17 (control)).

[0059] A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five people on the texture of the fried chicken of Test Examples 17 to 19. The five panelists tasted the fried chicken of Test Examples 17 to 19 and evaluated the juiciness, softness, and crispness of the coating. The evaluation criteria for each evaluation item were set in the same way as in Example 3. The average values ​​for each evaluation item are shown in Table 6. Test Example 18, in which frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup were added before the batter liquid was applied, was confirmed to be superior in all aspects of juiciness, softness, and crispness compared to Test Example 19, in which frozen egg white and reduced starch syrup were mixed into the batter liquid.

[0060] [Table 6]

[0061] [Example 5] Production of steamed chicken The formed chicken breast meat (240-260 g) was placed in a vacuum tumbler together with the seasonings and tumbling was performed under vacuum conditions for 3 hours to achieve seasoning. The seasoned chicken breast meat, along with the egg white and carbohydrates shown in Table 7, were each placed in a vacuum tumbler and tumbling was performed at normal pressure for 10 minutes to achieve coating. Coating was omitted for Test Example 20 (control). The coated chicken breast meat was placed in a steam cooker and heated at 110°C and 100% humidity for 20 minutes. The heated chicken breast meat was cooled to obtain steamed chicken.

[0062] [Table 7]

[0063] A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five people regarding the texture of the steamed chicken of Test Examples 20 to 23. The five panelists actually tasted the steamed chicken of Test Examples 20 to 23 and evaluated the juiciness and tenderness. The evaluation criteria for each evaluation item were set as follows, with the control being rated "0". <Juicy> -3: Strong dryness; -2: Dry feeling; -1: A little dry; 0: Juiciness equivalent to the control; 1: Slightly juicy; 2: Juicy; 3: Has a strong juicy taste. <Softness> -3: Quite hard; -2: hard; -1: slightly hard; 0: softness equivalent to the control; 1: slightly soft; 2: soft; 3: Quite soft.

[0064] The average evaluation results for each evaluation item by the five panelists are shown in Table 8. Test Examples 21 to 23 all had higher evaluation results in both evaluation items compared to the control Test Example 20. Furthermore, Test Examples 22 and 23 also had higher evaluation results in all evaluation items compared to Test Example 21, which did not contain any added carbohydrates.

[0065] [Table 8]

[0066] [Example 6] Production of hamburger steak The minced meat, onion and seasonings were chopped and mixed in a chopping machine, and then formed into a disk shape to prepare the filling. To, Egg whites and sugars shown in Table 9 Woko ting Gusi Coating was omitted for Test Example 24 (control). After coating, both sides of the ingredients were baked on a 250°C iron plate for 30 seconds on each side. After baking, the hamburger steak was heated in a 95°C steam oven for 13 minutes, and it was confirmed that the core temperature had reached 80°C, yielding a hamburger steak. After heating, the hamburger steak was left to stand at room temperature.

[0067] [Table 9]

[0068] A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five people regarding the texture of the hamburger steaks of Test Examples 24 to 27. The five panelists actually tasted the hamburger steaks of Test Examples 24 to 27 and evaluated the juiciness and softness. The evaluation criteria for each evaluation item were set as follows, with the control being rated "0". <Juicy> -3: Strong dryness; -2: Dry feeling; -1: A little dry; 0: Juiciness equivalent to the control; 1: Slightly juicy; 2: Juicy; 3: Has a strong juicy taste. <Softness> -3: Quite hard; -2: hard; -1: slightly hard; 0: softness equivalent to the control; 1: slightly soft; 2: soft; 3: Quite soft.

[0069] The average evaluation results for each evaluation item by the five panelists are shown in Table 10. Test Examples 25 to 27 all had higher evaluation results in both evaluation items compared to the control Test Example 24. Test Example 26 had a higher juiciness compared to Test Example 25, which did not contain any sugars. Test Example 27 had higher evaluation results in all evaluation items compared to Test Example 25, which did not contain any sugars.

[0070] [Table 10]

[0071] From the above results, it was confirmed that in the heat-processed foods of fried chicken, steamed chicken, and hamburger steak, coating the ingredients with egg white and carbohydrates can achieve a high level of juiciness and tenderness. In addition, it was confirmed that in the fried food of fried chicken, coating the ingredients with egg white and carbohydrates can maintain a crispy texture after heat cooking.

Claims

1. The following steps: (i) adding seasonings to ingredients; (ii) applying egg white and carbohydrate, either mixed in advance or separately, to the entire surface of the ingredient after step (i) so that the total amount of the applied egg white and carbohydrate is more than 70% by weight of the entire applied material in step (ii); and (iii) a step of cooking the ingredients after step (ii) Including, In the step (ii), the ratio of the amount of egg white to the amount of carbohydrate to be applied is 1:0.1 to 1:1 by weight, the amount of egg white to be applied is 0.1 to 10.0% based on the weight of the ingredient, and the amount of carbohydrate to be applied is 0.05 to 5.0% based on the weight of the ingredient; The carbohydrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols, and oligosaccharides. A method for producing heat-processed foods.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step (ii') of applying a coating material to the surface of the ingredient after step (ii) and before step (iii).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the cooking in step (iii) is cooking in oil, and the heat-processed food is a fried food.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising a heating step after step (ii) and before step (ii').

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (ii) is a step of applying a pre-mixed coating liquid containing more than 70% of egg white and carbohydrates to the surface of the ingredient.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbohydrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of sucrose, trehalose, and reduced starch syrup.

7. A heat-processed food produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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