The present invention relates to a method for preparing frozen meat- based dishes: the term "frozen dish" in this discussion is used to mean any frozen ready-made dish.

Meat-based products have organoleptic properties that can vary within wide ranges, by virtue of the specific preparation recipe, but also in relation to the type and characteristics of the meat used.

In particular, there are many parameters in meat that determine a greater or lesser appreciation by the end consumer.

In addition to flavor, which constitutes the primary parameter for assessing meat in any preparation, of particular importance are also its texture and its respective tendency not to break up during cooking.

These parameters, in whole or in part, depend on the characteristics of the raw material used (for example fresh raw materials as an alternative to frozen raw materials or raw materials subjected to specific preservation treatments).

It should be noted, for example, that current regulations in the European Union (Regulation CE 853/2004) categorize as“fresh meats" all meats that have undergone no treatment except refrigeration, freezing or deep-freezing.

Vacuum-packed meats or meats packaged in a controlled atmosphere are also considered fresh.

Similar requirements are also required for minced meats.

The opportunity to use frozen meat for the preparation of meat-based foods is generally adopted by all producers, since it makes it possible to manage more easily the raw materials by virtue of the extended shelf life of several months for frozen meat with respect to the short shelf life of a few weeks for refrigerated meat. At the same time, since regulations in any case allow the producer to state on the label of the end product that it has been made with fresh meat, the consumer has no way of distinguishing dishes that use frozen meat as a raw material, instead of meat that has not been previously subjected to any freezing or deep-freezing treatment.

In reality it should be noted that, following to the formation of ice crystals inside it, frozen meat undergoes a substantial modification of its texture and also of the mutual cohesion of the muscular fibers.

When using frozen raw materials, therefore, the meat will have less texture and will be broken up in very small parts, making the frozen dish often very different from the dish prepared fresh by a chef or at home.

By contrast, the industrial preparation of meat-based dishes, using meat that has not been subjected to any treatment (also including freezing and deep-freezing), is particularly complex.

In fact there are many problems with provisioning the raw material, as well as with managing it and using it.

An industrial production process cannot ignore its simple repeatability: for this reason, using a raw material for which it is extremely complicated to ensure the constancy of its parameters does not lend itself to industrial production.

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes that does not entail the use of frozen meat.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes that keep to standard predefined timings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frozen meat-based dish with organoleptic characteristics similar to those of an equivalent dish made fresh at home.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes and related frozen dishes which is low cost, easily and practically implemented, and certain to be of practical application. This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a method for preparing frozen meat- based dishes which consists of:

- slaughter head of livestock, cut them into predefined portions and transport them to the mincing site, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C and in an overall time interval shorter than 6-10 days (DT,);

- bone the predefined portions, mince the boned meat thus obtained, package predefined quantities thereof, provide said predefined quantities to the department for preparing/cooking the dishes, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C and in an overall time interval shorter than 18-24 days (DT ₂ );

- collect the further ingredients and proceed to cook them according to codified recipes;

- group together all semi-finished products obtained in various phases of the codified recipes carried out in the previous phase in order to obtain the dish of interest;

- freeze the dish;

- package the dish.

These objects are also achieved by a frozen meat-based dish which is characterized in that it comprises:

- a condiment sauce based on meat originating from a supply chain in which, between the slaughtering of head of livestock, the cutting thereof into predefined portions and the respective transporting to the mincing site, at most 6-10 days elapse, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C, and in which, between the boning of the predefined portions, the mincing of the boned meat thus obtained, the respective packaging of predefined quantities thereof, and the supply of said predefined quantities to the department for preparing/cooking the dishes, at most 18-24 days elapse, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C; - a bechamel obtained from the processing, in a time interval comprised between 100 and 250 minutes until reaching a temperature comprised between 75°C and 99°C to be maintained for about 3-10 minutes, of a set of ingredients that comprises water, milk, butter, flour, salt, pepper in a variable time;

- a sheet of pasta, obtained by rolling a dough that comprises at least flour and water, previously cooked in water and cooled.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment, of the method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which the sole figure is a block diagram of the phases of the method according to the invention.

With reference to the figure, the method for preparing frozen meat- based dishes according to the invention is totally shown.

The method according to the invention consists of a series of consecutive phases that must be carried out in a cascade and/or simultaneously.

In particular, a phase 1 entails slaughtering head of livestock (with particular reference to cattle if it is intended to prepare a meat sauce of the ragout type) and cutting them into predefined portions; such portions will then be transported to the mincing site.

All of phase 1 must be carried out within a maximum time of approximately 6-10 days (DT _i ), although it has been found that the ideal time for carrying out all the operations in phase 1 in a complete and optimal manner entails that the phase be carried out within a maximum time of 8 days.

All of phase 1 must be carried out while keeping the meat at a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C and therefore operating in environments where the maintenance of this temperature is ensured. The predefined portions thus obtained can be half-carcases or quarter- carcases, if cattle have been slaughtered, but different subdivisions are not ruled out even for cattle and/or for other kinds of livestock.

Then a phase 2 is provided, during which it is necessary to bone the predefined portions (made in phase 1).

The boned meat will subsequently be minced and packaged according to predefined quantities.

The packages of minced meat will be supplied, in turn, to a department for preparing/cooking the dishes.

All of phase 2 must be carried out within a maximum time of approximately 18-24 days (DT ₂ ), although it has been found that the ideal time for carrying out all the operations in phase 2 in a complete and optimal manner entails that the phase be carried out within a maximum time of 18 days.

All of phase 2 must also be carried out while keeping the meat at a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C and therefore operating in environments where the maintenance of this temperature is ensured.

Once the packages of minced meat have arrived at the department for preparing/cooking the dishes, it becomes necessary to proceed with a phase 3, which consists of gathering further ingredients, and proceeding to cook them according to codified recipes.

A subsequent phase 4 groups together all semi-finished products obtained in various phases of the codified recipes carried out in the previous phase (phase 3) in order to obtain the dish of interest.

Freezing of the dish thus obtained is defined by a phase 5, which is followed by a phase 6 of packaging it.

It should be noted that, after the phase 5 of freezing and before the phase 6 of packaging, there is a phase 5bis of metrological checking of the dish, for the respective portioning according to the predefined standards.

Similarly, after the phase 5 of freezing and before the phase 6 of packaging, there is a phase 5ter of X-ray checking of the dish in order to identify any foreign objects, with consequent removal of the packages containing them.

The phases 5bis and 5ter can be earned out in sequence in any order without changing the end result.

It should be noted that the phase 3 of gathering and cooking all the ingredients according to codified recipes entails a common gathering of all the ingredients (defining a sub-phase 3 a) and the subsequent preparation, substantially simultaneous, of various semi-finished products (according to respective and parallel phases 3b, 3c, 3d, etc., 3n).

The semi-finished products thus obtained will be mutually grouped and/or combined for the provision of the dish.

The method according to the invention can be used to provide frozen dishes of the type of a lasagna (in general also of meat cannelloni, moussaka, pasta with ragout or bolognese sauce, arranged in any type of package).

In such case a preparation time of the semi-finished product (by way of example in the sub-phase 3b) that constitutes the meat-based condiment sauce (i.e. the ragout) of duration varying between 100 and 250 minutes is entailed, in which a cooking temperature comprised between 75° C and 99°C for a limited time will be reached.

In particular an excellent meat-based condiment sauce will be obtained if the cooking process is actuated for an overall time of 180 minutes and a cooking temperature comprised between 90°C is reached for a time of 5 minutes.

In such case, in a parallel sub-phase 3c the bechamel can be prepared, taking a variable overall time between 100 and 200 minutes and reaching, in this case too, a final cooking temperature comprised between 75° C and 99°C for a limited time.

It has been tested that the bechamel with the most suitable organoleptic properties for use requires a cooking time of 150 minutes and a final cooking temperature of 90°C maintained for about 5 minutes.

The present invention also extends its protection to a frozen meat- based dish which in turn comprises a plurality of ingredients defined below.

The first ingredient is a condiment sauce based on meat originating from a supply chain in which, between the slaughtering of head of livestock, the cutting thereof into predefined portions and the respective transporting to the mincing site, at most 6-10 days (preferably 8 at most) elapse, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C, and in which, between the boning of the predefined portions, the mincing of the boned meat thus obtained, the respective packaging of predefined quantities thereof, and the supply of such predefined quantities to the department for preparing/cooking the dishes, at most 18-24 days (preferably 18 days at most) elapse, maintaining a temperature comprised between 0°C and 2°C.

The second ingredient is a bechamel obtained from the processing, in a time interval comprised between 100 and 200 minutes (preferably the cooking time will be 150 minutes) until reaching a temperature comprised between 75°C and 99°C (preferably the final cooking temperature will be 90°C) to be maintained for about 3-10 minutes (preferably 5 minutes), of a set of ingredients that comprises water, milk, butter, flour, salt, pepper in a variable time.

The third ingredient is a sheet of pasta, obtained by rolling a dough that comprises at least flour and water (although it is possible to integrate the mixture with other ingredients, including for example eggs and/or suitable condiments), previously cooked in water and cooled.

It should be noted that the dish according to the invention can also comprise grated cheese (for example distributed on the outer surface of the dish at the end of the preparation, or dosed inside it).

It is relevant to point out that in the dish according to the invention the meat-based condiment sauce can conveniently be of the type of a ragout, comprising in such case oil, garlic, carrots, onions, meat, tomato, common wheat flour, aromatic herbs, salt and pepper.

Such sauce of the type of a ragout will then be obtained by providing for an overall cooking time comprised between 100 and 250 minutes (preferably 180 minutes).

The meat-based condiment sauce is obtained (in a sub-phase 3 b of the method described previously) through:

- the browning in oil of onion, carrot, garlic,

- the brazing of the fresh minced meat in stages in order to obtain a good granulometry of the meat (the execution of several consecutive phases in the brazing of the meat makes it possible to prevent the meat from breaking up and this makes it possible to maintain the desired granulometry and also its appropriate texture),

- the addition of tomato, flour, salt and pepper and reaching of a maximum temperature equal to about 75-99°C (preferably 90°C) for about 3-10 minutes (preferably 5 minutes),

- the final addition of aromatic herbs, generally after having interrupted the administration of heat to the cooking vessel. The aromatic herbs are generally added in IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) form and make it possible to give the meat sauce particular organoleptic characteristics, also improving its visual appearance (they can give the sauce a coloring closer to that of an artisan product).

It should be noted that the dish according to the invention will conveniently be divided into predefined portions through its preparation and dosing into respective containers.

In practice (in the case of the previous example where the dish is constituted by a lasagna) the dish is prepared through the distribution of alternating layers of at least two ingredients selected from between pasta sheets, meat-based condiment sauce, bechamel, grated cheese.

The successive layers (for example the subsequent superimposition of 5 layers of sheet pasta between which the other semi-finished products are placed) will result in the provision of a lasagna of the desired height (therefore corresponding to the standards specified).

It should further be pointed out that the dish according to the invention will profitably comprise a sealed package that is suitable for storage at temperatures below 0°C; in particular it will be possible to apply a cover to the container within which the dishes are prepared, or insert it into pouches (for example using flow-pack technology).

Finally there is a secondary packaging, generally made of paper and/or cardboard.

It is necessary to specify that the method according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a frozen dish (therefore a frozen ready-made dish) made with fresh meat that has not been frozen: such characteristic can be specified on the package of the dish proper in order to enable the consumer to take note of such characteristic.

Advantageously the present invention solves the above mentioned problems, by providing a method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes that does not entail the use of frozen meat.

Positively the method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes according to the invention keeps to standard predefined timings and therefore is not excessively costly.

Advantageously the frozen meat-based dish, according to the invention, presents organoleptic characteristics similar to those of an equivalent dish made fresh at home.

Positively the method for preparing frozen meat-based dishes and the related frozen dishes according to the invention are easily and practically implemented and low cost; such characteristics render the method and the dish according to the invention innovations that are certain to be of practical application.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In the embodiments illustrated, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, existing in other embodiments.

In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.