Method to produce a cooked, low fat ground meat product

Abstract

A method and system for producing low fat ground meat is disclosed. The method relates to a method of cooking raw ground meat so as to form a mixture that includes cooked ground meat, liquified fat and broth. Hot water is added to the mixture in an amount sufficient to cause a significant percentage of the liquified fat to float above the surface of the cooked meat mixture. The liquified fat layer is then removed. Subsequently, broth and water are also removed such that a cooked, low fat, chunky ground meat product results. The system comprises a specifically configured cooking vessel into which is selectively placed a fat removal apparatus. The apparatus comprises a series of tubes which are arranged and configured to remove liquified fat from the meat after cooking.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing low fat, chunky ground meat comprising the steps of: (a) placing raw ground meat in a cooking vessel;   (b) cooking the raw ground meat in the cooking vessel so as to form a mixture that includes cooked ground meat defining a layer having an upper region and a lower region, liquified fat and broth;   (c) adding hot water, at a temperature greater than about 180° F., to the mixture in the cooking vessel produced in step (b), in an amount less than the weight of the raw ground meat, but in an amount sufficient to cause a significant percentage of the liquified fat to float in a layer above the mixture;   (d) removing the liquified fat layer from the cooking vessel from a location above the upper region of the cooked meat; and   (e) removing sufficient remaining broth and water from the mixture in the cooking vessel from a location below the lower region of the cooked meat such that a cooked, low fat, chunky ground meat product is produced.   
     
     
       2. A method for producing low fat, cooked meat product with a high yield weight, comprising the steps of: (a) placing raw ground meat in a cooking vessel;   (b) cooking the raw ground meat in the cooking vessel so as to form a mixture that includes cooked ground meat defining a layer having an upper region and a lower region, liquified fat and broth;   (c) adding hot water, at a temperature greater than about 180° F., to the mixture in the cooking vessel produced in step (b), the amount of water being sufficient to cause a significant percentage of the liquified fat to float in a layer above the mixture;   (d) removing the liquified fat layer from the cooking vessel from a location above the upper region of the cooked meat;   (e) removing a portion of the broth and water from the mixture in the cooking vessel from a location below the lower region of the cooked meat such that a cooked, low fat, chunky ground meat product is produced; and then   (f) adding a water absorbent compound to the cooked meat in the cooking vessel produced in step (e).   
     
     
       3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the water absorbent compound is selected from the group consisting of oat flakes, oat fibers, high water absorbing fibers, and cereals, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method according to claim 2, wherein sufficient water absorbent compound is added such that water and broth are retained in the cooked meat product whereby the weight of the cooked meat product is approximately equal to the weight of the raw ground meat in step (a). 
     
     
       5. The method according to claim 2 wherein a flavoring agent is added in step (f). . .6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the flavoring 
     
     
        agent is a taco flavor..!.7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the amount of water and broth which remains in the cooked meat mixture after step (d) is sufficient such that, after adding the water absorbent compound and flavoring agent, the final weight yield of the product in step (f) is approximately equal to the weight of the raw ground meat in 
     
     
        step (a). 8. The method according to claim 2 wherein sufficient water is added to cause at least 60% by weight of the fat in the raw meat to float above the meat mixture.