Process for making a dehydrated protein snack food

Abstract

A process for preparing a tender, tasty, dehydrated protein snack food from protein material such as raw meat, poultry, fish, vegetable protein, and all mixtures thereof. The process involves the sequential steps of preparing thin slices of the protein material, intimately exposing these slices to a flavoring composition, eliminating entrapped air from the protein material to compact it and thoroughly impregnate it with the flavoring composition, maintaining the protein material at a temperature above freezing for a time sufficient for it to absorb the flavoring, freezing the flavored protein material, slicing the frozen, flavored protein material, and then dehydrating the flavored protein material slices to reduce their moisture content to an acceptable level. When this process is carried out on animal protein such as meat, poultry, fish, or combinations thereof, a curing composition is added with the flavoring composition to permit a higher moisture level with lower salt content in the final product. If desired, a smoky flavor can be imparted to the product by subjecting the protein material to natural smoke, or by including a liquid smoke in the flavoring composition.