Collagen wrapted meat products

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What I claim is: 1.
A meat product including at least one individual chunk of meat heat treated in a compact form in an inner collagen form and an outer mesh netting; said product being prepared by a process comprising the steps of: simultaneously wrapping and covering said meat with both a thin and fragile edible inner collagen film having a thickness in a range of from 8 .
mu.
m to 40 .
mu.
m and a width in a range of 12 cm to 65 cm and an outer netting such that said edible inner collagen film is in surface contact with the meat product as a casing and as a separating medium to hinder adhesion of the outer netting to said meat product, and said netting completely encloses both said meat product and said inner collagen film; said outer netting having a mesh width in the range of from 5 mm to 15 mm with elastic fibers aligned in a lateral direction and non-elastic fibers aligned in an axial direction, said outer netting primarily having an object of holding together the meat product; thereupon heat treating said meat as well as the edible inner collagen film and outer netting collectively to avoid any problem of sticking of the netting to the meat and preclude damage to said edible inner collagen film, said edible collagen film being insoluble in water so that said heat treating makes it possible to provide a compact, ready-to-eat meat product with flawless, intact outer surfacing; and finally removing the outer netting to obtain a visually pleasing meat product absent any damage thereto and to preclude any appearance of unappetizing meat portions.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the production of meat products, such as cooked ham, and in particular to the meat product itself.
Cooked ham is a popular meat product, which is both mass-produced and hand-made.
According to normal procedure, de-boned ham is cured, lightly smoked, and blanched at 70 to 75.
Due to the large demand for cooked ham, other large muscle parts of the pig are now being used, for instance, de-limbed shoulder or neck