FOOD PRODUCT AND METHOD OF HEATING
A food product having a soft starch based shell at least partially enclosing a filling forming a food component. A wrapper at least partially encloses the food component forming the food product. The food product is adapted for heating and holding on a roller grill without significant loss in quality.
1 . A method of preparing a wrapped food product:
providing a generally cylindrical food product including a filling with a side surface portion, a shell including at least one grain component enclosing at least the side surface portion of the filling and having an outer surface portion and a wrapper enclosing at least the outer surface portion of the shell and having overlapping edge margin portions; and
placing the food product on a roller grill and rotating the food product about a longitudinal axis thereof and heating the food product through the wrapper for a period of heating time sufficient to raise the temperature of the shell and filling to an eating temperature, said wrapper engaging rollers of the roller grill during heating.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the wrapper having an inwardly facing metallic layer and an outwardly facing second layer.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the outer layer being made of an absorbent material.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the absorbent material including cellulose.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the filling and shell being formed by co-extrusion.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the shell being formed at least partially of masa.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the filling and shell forming a tamale.
8 . A wrapped food product adapted for heating on a roller grill, the food product including:
an elongate filling having an elongate first side surface portion and opposite first end portions, said filling including at least one of water and fat;
a shell having an elongate second side surface portion overlying and enclosing at least the first side surface portion of the filling, said shell including starch and protein derived from grain and at lease one plasticizer, said shell having a generally cylindrical side portion outer surface and opposite second end portions; and
a wrapper enclosing at least the shell side portion outer surface, said wrapper being substantially impermeable to said at least one plasticizer and having overlapping edge margin portions.
9 . The food product of claim 8 wherein the grain including corn.
10 . The food product of claim 9 wherein the shell being made of masa and is cooked.
11 . The food product of claim 10 wherein the filling including meat.
12 . The food product of claim 11 wherein the food product being a tamale.
13 . The food product of claim wherein the wrapper being of a multi-layer construction including a paper layer secured to a metallic layer and being positioned on an outer disposed surface of the metallic layer.
14 . The food product of claim 8 wherein the filling being a sweet filling.
15 . The food product of claim 14 wherein the grain including a significant portion of wheat.
16 . The food product of claim 8 wherein the wrapper having third end portions enclosing portions of the first and second end portions first and second.
17 . The food product of claim 8 wherein the wrapper being of a multi-layer construction including at least two layers of material secured together in selected areas forming air pockets between at least two said layers.
18 . The food product of claim 17 wherein at least one said layer being cellulosic.
19 . The food product of claim 18 wherein at least two said layers being cellulosic.
20 . The food product of claim 18 wherein at least two said layers being having a quilt pattern of areas of attachment to one another.