Meat Sauce Production Using Baked Pellets to Preserve Texture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial processes for preparing meat-based sauces, such as ragù, reduce the size of minced meat particles during cooking, resulting in a homogeneous mixture that lacks distinct texture and flavor, leading consumers to prefer industrially prepared sauces that do not fully satisfy their taste expectations.
Innovation Solution
A process involving baking pellets of minced meat mixture in a conduction and convection oven without mechanical stress, followed by cooking with tomato, vegetables, and optional ingredients, to preserve the size and consistency of the meat particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional industrial processes are used to prepare meat-based sauces, then the sauce can be produced efficiently and stored, but the minced meat particles are reduced in size resulting in a homogeneous mixture that lacks distinct texture and flavor
Solution Approach 1:
The minced meat is pre-formed into pellets before the cooking process. This preliminary shaping action ensures that the meat maintains its particle structure throughout subsequent processing, preventing the mechanical stress that would otherwise reduce particle size during conventional cooking and mixing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical mixing and stirring methods with a baking process in a conduction and convection oven. This substitution eliminates the mechanical stress that breaks down meat particles, allowing the sauce to be prepared industrially while preserving distinct meat particle texture and flavor
2Reliability
If minced meat is continuously mixed during cooking to prevent burning, then the sauce achieves uniform cooking, but the mechanical stress reduces the size of meat particles resulting in minute particles that cannot be easily perceived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical mixing with thermal convection and conduction in an oven. The continuous circulation of hot air and contact with heated surfaces provides uniform cooking without mechanical stress, thereby maintaining meat particle size while ensuring reliable uniform cooking quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional surface cooking process (contact with cooker walls) to a three-dimensional volumetric heating process using convection currents. This allows uniform cooking throughout the meat particles without requiring mechanical mixing, preserving particle size while achieving reliable cooking quality
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
The process ensures that the cooked meat particles in the sauce can be distinctly perceived by the consumer, providing a more intense and rounded taste experience.
Implementation Method 1
baking pellets of a mixture comprising minced meat to baking in a conduction and convection oven
Implementation Method 2
baking pellets of a mixture comprising minced meat to baking in a conduction and convection oven
Data Source
AI summary
A process for the production of a sauce containing minced meat, tomato, vegetables, edible oils or fats and optional complementary ingredients is disclosed. The process includes the steps of a) of subjecting pellets of a mixture containing minced meat to baking in an oven, obtaining baked pellets, b) adding, in a cooker, the baked pellets to tomato, vegetables, edible oils or fats and optional complementary ingredients, and c) cooking the whole mixture for a predetermined time.