METHOD FOR PROCESSING A PRODUCT
First Claim
1. A method for processing a food product, comprising:
- placing uncooked food product into a two-piece steamer apparatus having a bottom-unloading basket that has a top opening for accepting a product and a bottom opening for discharging a product, and a support base configured to mate with said bottom opening of said basket, whereby when said basket and said support base are mated, the product is prevented from exiting the basket through said bottom opening of said basket;
placing said steamer apparatus within a closable cooking vessel;
securing a removable cover into a closed position on said cooking vessel;
steam-cooking said food product in said cooking vessel;
unfastening said removable cover from said cooking vessel;
removing said basket from the cooking vessel, thereby separating said basket from said support base and releasing the cooked food product directly into said cooking vessel, and then removing the support base up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel;
securing a removable agitator dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel, said agitator dome having integrally-connected mixing blades protruding downwardly into said cooking vessel; and
mechanically mixing the steamed food product within the covered cooking vessel at atmospheric pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of processing a product, such as food product, is disclosed. Untreated product is placed inside a bottom-unloading basket that is, in turn, placed within a covered vessel. For processing a food product, the invention uses a porous steamer apparatus for insertion into a covered cooking vessel. The steamer apparatus is comprised of two unfastened pieces, a basket and a support base, each of which has a plurality of small holes through which steam, but not food product, may pass. The basket holds the food product, is roughly cylindrical in shape, has an open-ended top and an open-ended bottom, and rests firmly upon, but is not fastened to, the support base during the steam-cooking process. The support base has an inverted conical shape and a vertical pole that has a hook-shaped upper terminus and that is integrally-connected to and protruding above and below the uppermost point of the support base. A perforated, closed spice container is removably fastened to the pole at a point underneath the support base. During the pressurized steam-cooking process, a pressure dome is removably fastened onto the cooking vessel. Upon completion of the steam-cooking process, the pressure dome is unfastened from the vessel and the basket is lifted out of the vessel, thereby releasing all of the food product directly into the vessel, and the support base, due to its inverted conical shape and hooked upper end, is easily lifted up through the cooked food product and out of the vessel, simultaneously with the spice container. An agitator dome having integrally-connected mixing blades is then removably fastened onto the top of the vessel, and the food product is mechanically mixed at ambient atmospheric pressure.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method for processing a food product, comprising:
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placing uncooked food product into a two-piece steamer apparatus having a bottom-unloading basket that has a top opening for accepting a product and a bottom opening for discharging a product, and a support base configured to mate with said bottom opening of said basket, whereby when said basket and said support base are mated, the product is prevented from exiting the basket through said bottom opening of said basket;
placing said steamer apparatus within a closable cooking vessel;
securing a removable cover into a closed position on said cooking vessel;
steam-cooking said food product in said cooking vessel;
unfastening said removable cover from said cooking vessel;
removing said basket from the cooking vessel, thereby separating said basket from said support base and releasing the cooked food product directly into said cooking vessel, and then removing the support base up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel;
securing a removable agitator dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel, said agitator dome having integrally-connected mixing blades protruding downwardly into said cooking vessel; and
mechanically mixing the steamed food product within the covered cooking vessel at atmospheric pressure. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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2. A method of steam-infusing spices and flavors into a food product, comprising:
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placing spices and/or flavorings into a spice container that is perforated with a plurality of holes and removably fastening a perforated cover onto said spice container;
removably fastening said spice container onto a pole of a support base piece of a two-piece steamer apparatus at a point on said pole just above a lower terminus of said pole but below an uppermost point of the support base;
placing said support base and said removably fastened spice container into a cooking vessel;
placing food product into a bottom-unloading basket of said two-piece steamer apparatus and then placing said basket into said cooking vessel such that said basket is resting firmly directly on top of said support base;
securing a removable dome into a closed position on said cooking vessel and then processing the food product in said vessel;
unfastening and removing said dome from said cooking vessel;
removing said basket from said cooking vessel, thereby releasing the processed food product through a bottom of said basket and directly into said cooking vessel; and
removing the support base, together with said spice container, up through said cooked food product and out of said cooking vessel. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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Specification