Method for slicing tenders

Abstract

A method of processing a jumbo tender of a meat tender or poultry breast into strips having a desired weight and thickness with minimal losses requires two diagonal cuts across and through the jumbo to yield three portions which are substantially the same in weight and thickness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for slicing a portion of an irregularly shaped meat product having one substantially flat side and an opposing side which varies in thickness from the substantially flat side into a group of substantially uniform strips comprising the steps of:
 a. placing the meat product on a cutting surface with the substantially flat side of the meat product down against the cutting surface;   b. slicing across and through the meat product along a first diagonal line from near the thickest section of the meat product so as to remove from the meat product a strip of meat having the desired characteristic weight and thickness;   c. slicing across and through the meat product along a second diagonal line beginning at substantially the thickest portion of the meat product and extending substantially parallel said first diagonal line, to yield a second strip of meat from the meat product, said second strip also having the desired characteristic and weight and thickness, and a residual meat portion.   
     
     
         2 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 1  further comprising trimming said residual meat portion to yield a strip of meat having substantially the same thickness as said first and second strips of meat. 
     
     
         3 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 1  wherein thickness of a strip of meat produced by the method is always measured on the thickest portion of the strip, as the strip is lying flat with the longest dimension as the length, the second largest dimension as the width, and the smallest dimension as the thickness. 
     
     
         4 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 3  wherein the second diagonal line is spaced from the first diagonal line a distance substantially the same as the thickness of the strip of meat removed in the first slicing step. 
     
     
         5 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 4  further comprising trimming said residual meat portion to yield a strip of meat having substantially the same thickness as said first and second strips of meat. 
     
     
         6 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 4  wherein the meat product is a poultry breast. 
     
     
         7 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 5  wherein the step of slicing along said first diagonal line yields a strip of meat having a thickness of between about 0.30 to about 0.60 inches. 
     
     
         8 . A method for slicing a meat product as defined in  claim 6  wherein the step of slicing along said first diagonal line yields a strip of meat having weight between about 20 and about 27 grams.