Process for the production of a dehydrated cooked meat
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a process for the production of a dehydrated cooked meat. 
     There are processes in which a meat is cooked in an autoclave under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, the product obtained optionally being deboned and then predried in an oven under a partial vacuum before being granulated and completely dehydrated. 
     The disadvantages of processes of this type are due mainly to the fact that the cooked meat has to be predried for several hours. Thus, it is standard practice to predry the meat for 5 hours. In addition, despite predrying, a binder, for example egg white, still has to be added to the predried product to allow correct granulation before final drying. 
     Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention was to provide a process for the production of a dehydrated cooked meat which, on the one hand, would enable the predrying time to be substantially reduced and, on the other hand, would eliminate the need to use a binder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a process for the production of a dehydrated cooked meat in which the meat is cooked in animal fat under atmospheric pressure until it has a dry matter content above 60% and is then predried before finally being granulated and dehydrated. 
     By cooking in animal fat, it is possible, with cooking times comparable with those of the prior art, to obtain an intermediate product which requires a far shorter predrying time to allow correct subsequent granulation. In addition, it is possible completely to eliminate the need to use a binder. 
     Moreover, the process according to the invention enables a dried cooked meat having exceptional bacteriological properties to be obtained. 
     Finally, if the meat is cooked in a coverless autoclave in the fat of an animal of the same species as that from which the meat to be cooked emanates, it is possible to obtain an &#34;unrefined&#34; fat which, while showing excellent keeping properties, has a slight roasted flavour which, organoleptically, is entirely satisfactory and remarkable. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the context of the invention, the term &#34;meat&#34; encompasses poultry meat, such as chicken or fowl, beef, pork and veal. 
     The starting material used may be fresh or frozen. 
     If the meat is frozen, it may be defrosted, for example continuously in a hot-air or microwave tunnel. 
     In the practical application of the process according to the invention, the meat may have been completely or partly freed from its bones and its skin before cooking. 
     The meat may also have been cut, for example into pieces weighing a few hundred grams to a few kilograms, in order to accelerate the cooking process. 
     The meat and the cooking fat are placed in a double-jacketed coverless autoclave. The mixture may be cooked for 40 to 120 minutes at a temperature of 100° to 120° C. at atmospheric pressure. 
     The cooking fat may advantageously be stabilized with an antioxidant, such as butyl hydroxyl anisole (BHA) or octyl gallate. 
     On completion of cooking, the meat is separated from the cooking fat, for example simply by draining. 
     The product may then be ground, for example in a helical-screw mincer with a grill which may have 9 mm diameter holes. 
     If necessary, the product is then deboned. At this stage, additives, such as fine salt or aromatic herbs may be added, and a binder, such as egg white, may be incorporated in the mixture. 
     The product may then be predried under a partial vacuum such as in a heating-plate vacuum oven over a period of less than 2 h at a temperature of 98° C. and under a residual pressure of 30 mm Hg. The product is then granulated, for example in a mincer, to produce pieces a few millimetres in size. 
     Finally, the product is subjected to final dehydration to a dry matter content above 95% by weight. This final dehydration step may be carried out over a period of a few hours in a heating-plate oven under a partial vacuum. 
     EXAMPLES 
     The invention is illustrated by the following Examples in which percentages are by weight. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 1 
     Frozen fowl necks were defrosted. 
     270 kg fowl necks and 520 kg fowl fat stabilized with BHA and octyl gallate were cooked for 75 minutes at 105° C. in a coverless autoclave at atmospheric pressure. 
     139 kg meat having a dry matter content of 70% and 499 kg unrefined fat were thus obtained, part of the cooking fat having migrated into the fowl necks. 
     The unrefined fat was then refined by heating for 30 minutes at 110° C., thus giving 494 kg refined fat. 
     The 139 kg meat were minced in a helical-screw mincer equipped with a grill having 9 mm diameter holes. The minced product was then mechanically deboned, producing 85 kg deboned meat. 
     The 85 kg deboned meat were divided into two 42.5 kg batches. 
     5,100 kg fine salt and 5 g powdered rosemary were added to a first batch of 42.5 kg. 
     A first granulation test was carried out in a mincer equipped ,with a 10 mm thick grill having 3 mm diameter holes. The firmness of the granules was mediocre. 
     After predrying in a heating-plate vacuum oven for 1 hour at 98° C. under a residual pressure of 5260 Pa, the product was granulated by passage through a mincer of the type used for the granulation test before predrying. 
     On this occasion, granulation proceeded satisfactorily. More particularly, the granules obtained did not solidify. The product was then dehydrated for 2.5 hours at 98° C. in an oven under a partial vacuum of 5,260 Pa. 
     34 kg granules having a dry matter content of 98.5% were thus obtained. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     5,800 kg fine salt, 5 g powdered rosemary and 600 g powdered egg white were added to the second batch of 42.5 kg obtained from the 85 kg produced in Example 1. 
     A granulation test was carried out on the product obtained. The firmness of the granules was again mediocre. 
     By contrast, after predrying in exactly the same way as in Example 1, granulation proceeded satisfactorily. The product was then subjected to exactly the same final dehydration as in Example 1. 34 kg granules having a dry matter content of 98.3% were obtained. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     Whole eviscerated fowls without the feet or wing tips were defrosted. 
     252 kg fowl and 550 kg fowl fat stabilized with BHA and octyl gallate were cooked for 75 minutes at 110° C. in a coverless autoclave at atmospheric pressure. 
     133.5 kg meat having a dry matter content of 64% and 565 kg unrefined fat were thus obtained, part of the fat of the cooked fowls having migrated into the cooking. 
     The unrefined fat was then refined for 30 minutes at 110° C., producing 560 kg refined fat. 
     The 137.5 kg cooked meat were minced in a helical-screw mincer equipped with a grill having 9 mm diameter holes. 
     The minced product was then mechanically deboned, producing 103 kg deboned meat. 
     The 103 kg deboned meat was divided into two 51.500 kg batches. 
     7,000 kg fine salt and 6 g powdered rosemary were added to a first batch of 51.5 kg. 
     A granulation test identical with that carried out in Examples 1 and 2 again revealed inadequate firmness. 
     After predrying in a heating-plate vacuum oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 98° C. and under a residual pressure of 5,260 Pa, the product was granulated by passage through a mincer identical with that used in Examples 1 and 2. 
     Granulation proceeded satisfactorily. 
     The product was then subjected to final dehydration over a period of 2.5 h at 98° C. in an oven under a partial vacuum of 5,260 Pa. 
     37 kg granules having a dry matter content of 97.2% were thus obtained. 
     EXAMPLE 4 
     7 kg fine salt, 820 g powdered egg white and 6 g powdered rosemary were added to the second batch of 51.5 kg from the 103 kg produced in Example 3. 
     A granulation test was carried out on the product obtained, the firmness of the granules again being unsatisfactory. 
     By contrast, after predrying in exactly the same way as in Examples 1, 2 and 3, granulation proceeded satisfactorily. 
     The product was then subjected to final dehydration in exactly the same way as in Examples 1, 2 and 3. 
     38 kg granules having a dry matter content of 97.55% were thus obtained. 
     BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDIES 
     Bacteriological studies showed that the properties of the product obtained were excellent. 
     The results of these bacteriological studies are set out in the following Table. 
     
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         Neck meat    Fowl meat                                           
         Example Example  Example   Example                               
         1       2        3         4                                     
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Total germs/g                                                             
            30        60        760    60                                 
(standard 10,000)                                                         
Total coliforms/g                                                         
           &lt;1        &lt;1       &lt;1      &lt;1                                  
Fecal coliforms/g                                                         
           &lt;1        &lt;1       &lt;1      &lt;1                                  
Escherichia                                                               
           &lt;1        &lt;1       &lt;1      &lt;1                                  
coli/g                                                                    
Staphylococci/g                                                           
           &lt;1        &lt;10      &lt;1      &lt;1                                  
Sulfite-reducing                                                          
           &lt;1        &lt;1       &lt;1      &lt;1                                  
clostridium/g                                                             
Yeasts/g   &lt;10       &lt;10      &lt;10     &lt;10                                 
Moulds/g   &lt;10       &lt;10      &lt;10     &lt;10                                 
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     The following Comparison Example shows that the necessary predrying time in the process according to the invention is shorter than in the prior art. 
     COMPARISON EXAMPLE 
     The following Table illustrates the known process applied, on the one hand, to chicken necks and, on the other hand, to whole chickens. 
     
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                  Chicken                                                 
                         Whole                                            
                  necks  chickens                                         
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Starting volume (kg)                                                      
                    300      300                                          
Cooking in an autoclave                                                   
pressure (bar)      1.3      1.7                                          
duration (minutes)  65       40                                           
temperature (°C.)                                                  
                    125      130                                          
Dry matter after cooking (%)                                              
                    38       45                                           
Egg white (kg)      3        3                                            
Predrying                                                                 
pressure (bar)      50       50                                           
temperature (°C.)                                                  
                    95       95                                           
time (h)            4.5      4.5                                          
Granulation (mm)    3        3                                            
Drying                                                                    
pressure (bar)      50       50                                           
temperature (°C.)                                                  
                    95       95                                           
duration (h)        2.75     2.75                                         
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     It can clearly be seen that the predrying time is shortened from 4.5 to 1 h and that there is no longer any need to use egg white.