Shaped, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat egg product having low amounts of binder additive
Formed, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat egg products are prepared by mixing a liquid egg composition comprising liquid egg in an amount sufficient so that the liquid egg composition is flowable at 35° F. with solid food inclusions, wherein at least 50% of the solid food inclusions have a longest dimension size of from 0.6 to 12 cm. From 5 to 45% of the solid food inclusions are at a temperature of less than 34° F. at the time of mixing. The resulting extrudable egg-based matrix comprises from 50 wt % to 90 wt % of the solid food inclusions, and is formed into a predetermined shape to provide a shaped, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat egg product. The matrix additionally comprises a binder additive in an amount effective so that the shaped, ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat egg product is self-supporting for at least two minutes at an ambient temperature of 40° F.
1 . A method of preparing raw shaped, ready-to-cook egg products comprising,
a) providing a liquid egg composition comprising from about 60 wt % to 100 wt % of liquid egg based on the total weight of the liquid egg composition, wherein the liquid egg composition is flowable at 35° F.;
b) providing solid food inclusions, wherein at least 50% of the solid food inclusions have a longest dimension size of from 0.6 to 12 cm;
c) mixing the liquid egg composition with the solid food inclusions to provide an extrudable egg-based matrix having a total egg content of from about 15 wt % to 90 wt % based on the total extrudable egg-based matrix, and comprising from 30 wt % to 90 wt % of the solid food inclusions;
d) forming the extrudable egg-based matrix into a raw shaped, ready-to-cook egg product having a predetermined shape that is self-supporting; and
e) cooling at least one of: (i) the liquid egg composition and the solid food inclusions during the mixing step of (c); and (ii) the extrudable egg-based matrix during the forming step of (d), wherein during the forming step (d) the extrudable egg-based matrix is at a temperature of from 16° F. to 34° F.;
wherein the extrudable egg-based matrix additionally comprises a binder additive selected from the group consisting of starches, hydrocolloids, gums, soy bulking agents, and mixtures thereof, wherein the binder additive is present in an amount effective so that the raw shaped, ready-to-cook egg product is self-supporting for at least two minutes at an ambient temperature of 40° F.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein from 10 wt % to 35 wt % of the solid food inclusions are at a temperature of less than 34° F. at the time of mixing.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder additive is present in the matrix as from 2 wt % to 9 wt % of the raw shaped, ready-to-cook egg product.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder additive comprises starch that is derived from a material selected from corn, potato, sweet potato, cassava, rice, wheat, barley, millet, legumes, and mixtures thereof.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder additive comprises a gum selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and gum Arabic.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder additive comprises a hydrocolloid selected from the group consisting of carrageenan and pectin.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrudable egg-based matrix comprises from 50 wt % to 90 wt % of the solid food inclusions based on the total extrudable egg-based matrix.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid egg is selected from egg white and egg yolk or a mixture thereof.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid egg is whole egg.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid egg composition comprises cooked egg portions.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid food inclusions comprise egg-based solid food inclusions.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrudable egg-based matrix has a total egg content of from about 35 wt % to 90 wt % of egg based on the total extrudable egg-based matrix, which total egg content may be provided to the matrix by the liquid egg composition or the liquid egg composition and any egg-based solid food inclusions present in the total extrudable egg-based matrix.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw shaped, ready-to-cook egg product is cooked on a cooking surface without an intermediate freezing step and without the use of a pan or mold that supports the shape of the egg product during the cooking step to form a cooked, shaped egg product.
14 . A raw, shaped egg product made by the process of claim 1 .
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid egg composition comprises a viscosity increasing ingredient in an amount sufficient so that the liquid egg composition is flowable at 35° F.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein during the forming step (d) the extrudable egg-based matrix is at a temperature of from 28° F. to 34° F.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the extrudable egg-based matrix is measured by inserting a temperature probe into the matrix without piercing any frozen solid food inclusions present in the matrix.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid egg composition and the solid food inclusions are cooled during the mixing step of (c) using liquid nitrogen.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrudable egg-based matrix is cooled during the forming step of (d) using liquid nitrogen.