Fire Braising Meat Process with Rapid Crust-Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for braising meat on a mass scale often result in internal cooking during the flame searing process, leading to a deep cook ring or partial cooking before slow cooking, which affects the final product's flavor and texture.
Innovation Solution
A process involving high-temperature flame searing in an oven followed by rapid crust-freezing to prevent further cooking, then slow cooking in a steam oven to create a braised product without a deep cook ring, using equipment like a 7M BTU searing unit and Frigoscandia ADVANTEC™ Impingement Freezer, with specific temperature and time controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-temperature flame searing is used to cook meat on a mass scale, then cooking speed and productivity are improved, but internal cooking occurs creating a deep cook ring or partial cooking before slow cooking
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking process is segmented into three distinct phases: (1) high-temperature flame searing at 1500°F for 10 seconds to 3 minutes to create a crust-like portion, (2) rapid crust-freezing at -35 to 0°F for 1 to 6 minutes to prevent further cooking, and (3) slow cooking at 140 to 195°F for 0.25 to 20 hours to achieve tenderization. This segmentation allows precise control over the depth of cooking, creating only a shallow crust layer without internal overcooking.
Solution Approach 2:
The rapid crust-freezing step is applied as a preliminary action between searing and slow cooking to prevent the harmful effect of continued cooking. By freezing the crust layer quickly after searing, the process stops the thermal penetration before it can create a deep cook ring, thereby preserving the desired shallow cooked layer while maintaining productivity benefits of high-temperature searing.
2Temperature
If high-temperature flame searing is used to create a crust on meat, then surface browning and flavor development are improved, but the crust-like portion extends too deep into the meat
Solution Approach 1:
The process utilizes extreme parameter changes to achieve the desired outcome. The meat is subjected to very high temperature (1500°F) for a very short duration (10 seconds to 3 minutes), creating a crust only 0.25 to 25% of the meat thickness. This is followed by rapid cooling to -35 to 0°F, which halts the cooking process and preserves the shallow crust depth while maintaining the beneficial surface browning and flavor development.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Preserves a crust-like portion on the meat's surface while preventing internal cooking, maintaining flavor and texture quality by avoiding a deep cooking ring and allowing for a braised product with a shallow cooked layer.
Implementation Method 1
cooking meat in an oven having a temperature of at least 1500° F.
Implementation Method 2
at least crust-freezing the meat in a freezer having a temperature of approximately −35 to 0° F.
Data Source
AI summary
A fire searing process for meat comprises cooking meat in an oven and then at least crust-freezing the meat in a freezer. The oven has a temperature of at least 1500° F., and the meat is cooked in the oven for approximately 10 seconds to 3 minutes. The meat is cooked to a depth of approximately 0.25 to 25% of the meat extending into an inner surface of the meat from an outer surface of the meat to form a crust-like portion proximate the outer surface of the meat. The meat is then at least crust-frozen in a freezer having a temperature of approximately −35 to 0° F. for approximately 1 to 6 minutes. The freezer prevents the meat from being further cooked to preserve the crust-like portion proximate the outer surface of the meat.