Dca Food Industries, Inc.

Simon Gagel

John H Moyer

Shiowshuh Sheen

A susceptor for use in the microwave cooking of food, includes a first plastic film, a second plastic film, and a semi-liquid lossy material disposed intermediate the first and second films. The lossy material includes glycerine, sucrose ester, and chloride salt, 25 grams of the lossy material in a 50 ml. glass beaker being heatable to at least 200.degree. C. within 40 seconds by 900 watts of microwave energy in a 1.1 cu. ft. oven. Preferably a layer of paper is sandwiched between the first and second films, the lossy material being absorbed on the paper layer. The susceptor is preferably biodegradable and edible. A method of microwave cooking includes the steps of providing an assembly of such a susceptor and the food to be microwave cooked, cooking the food in intimate contact with the susceptor in a microwave oven, and separating the microwave cooked food from the susceptor.

Microwavable susceptor and method of using same

In a process for preparing a coated microwaveable meat which will be juicy and tender after microwave cooking, the meat is intimately contacted with an aqueous solution having a pH of 5.0-9.0 and a cation normality ratio of Na.sup.+ /K.sup.+ /Ca.sup.++ of 2-10/1-6/1-4, the contact continuing until the water gain in the meat is at least 8% of the initial weight of the meat. Thereafter a dry, powdery coating agent, including starch, protein and optional flavoring, is applied to the meat. During subsequent microwave cooking of the meat, the coating agent forms a starch-and-protein crosslinked continuous skin-like film which controls the heating rate and the microwave penetration depth so that microwave energy absorption is at least initially higher at the film than in the interior of the meat.

Process for preparing tender, juicy microwaveable meat

A fry-like microwave cooking process for producing food with a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior includes the steps of applying an edible hydrophilic lossy susceptor to at least a portion of the surface of the food bearing a moisture-retardant edible barrier layer, and microwave cooking the susceptor-bearing food to provide a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior for the food. The barrier layer is a natural skin, a dough layer or a film formed of a plasticized material selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, carrageenan and combinations thereof. The susceptor includes glycerine, sucrose ester, and chloride salt. The susceptor is characterized by the property that 25 grams of the susceptor in a 50 ml. glass beaker is heatable to 200.degree. C. in less than 40 seconds by 900 watts of microwave energy in a 1.1 cu. ft. oven. Preferably the process further browns and crisps the food exterior through a Maillard reaction at a temperature of at least 135.degree. C., the susceptor additionally including a reducing sugar and an amino compound.

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Forest Hills, NY, United States of America

Simon Gagel