System of cooking or heating food products with microwaves and hot oil

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for cooking and / or heating a food product rapidly with the use of microwave and hot oil heating, which are applied simultaneously during the entire or partial period of the cooking and / or heating time. The food product may be frozen prior to processing, and may consist of an outer wrapper and an inner filling. It is desirable that after a relatively short cooking and / or heating process, the outer wrapper becomes crispy with a uniform golden-brown color while the inner filling reaches a desired temperature.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFood manufacturers are constantly looking for a new improved method of preparing foods. In particular, a rapid and efficient method which also produces high quality foods is always desirable. Special problems, however, are encountered by manufacturers when hot oil heating (deep frying) is involved in cooking and / or heating food products such as egg rolls, pizza rolls, fried taco rolls, fried burritos, corn dogs or break fast rolls etc. which generally consists of a wrapper (outer shell / skin) and an inner filling. Such food products are difficult to cook and / or heat rapidly while at the same time, yielding desirable crispiness of the wrapper (outer shell / skin) and a high quality cooking and / or heating of the inner filler. In general, if a relatively high temperature is applied in the conventional deep-fry cooking and / or heating, the wrapper (outer shell / skin) becomes overcooked and burnt before the inner filling even reaches the desired temperature. This is...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a system for cooking and / or heating a frozen or a nonfrozen food product by means of combined microwave and conventional oil heating methods which are applied simultaneously during the entire or a partial cooking and / or heating period providing: (a) a rapid cooking and / or heating time and (b) a high quality fried product which gives a crispy outer crust (wrapper) or outer skin.

Problems solved by technology

Special problems, however, are encountered by manufacturers when hot oil heating (deep frying) is involved in cooking and / or heating food products such as egg rolls, pizza rolls, fried taco rolls, fried burritos, corn dogs or break fast rolls etc. which generally consists of a wrapper (outer shell / skin) and an inner filling.

In general, if a relatively high temperature is applied in the conventional deep-fry cooking and / or heating, the wrapper (outer shell / skin) becomes overcooked and burnt before the inner filling even reaches the desired temperature.

When heating the somewhat cylindrical food products mentioned above by means of the conventional oil heating alone, it is known from experience in the applicant's egg roll manufacturing plant that for a product of one and one-half inches in diameter, the time required to reach the core temperature of 160 degrees fahrenheit(F) from an initial temperature of 50 degrees F. is about five minutes with the oil temperature being maintained at 355 degrees F. If the same product is frozen prior to processing, it becomes impossible to obtain a satisfactory result by frying alone.

In the case of heating an egg roll for example, the use of microwave heating alone yields undesirable result.

The microwave excites water molecules of the inner filling, thus generating heat and water vapor which causes the egg roll wrapper to become soggy.

It should be noted that in the case of cooking egg rolls (or other similar food products), it is not desirable to use microwave cooking prior to a conventional oil frying.

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