The invention concerns a dish that includes a sauce with vegetables or meat. The dish can be of the type commonly known as Queso Fundido. The invention encompasses a frozen cheese sauce/particulate product and methods for its preparation and use.
Traditional Queso Fundido is a Mexican cheese sauce that is melted in the oven and served with tortillas or tortilla chips. Its primary ingredient is Oaxacan style melting cheese called queso asadero. Roasted vegetables and grilled meats are sometimes added to the sauce. One of the issues with traditional Queso Fundido is fat separation/pooling, and once cooled the sauce congeals into a firm cheese block which is difficult and time-consuming to thaw. Another issue is that large particulates (meat, vegetable, etc.) have not been practical and could not be maintained in prior cheese sauces. If the chunks were blended into the sauce during processing, this would tend to macerate the chunks into small pieces. Also, vegetables do not appear fresh when combined in this way.
According to this invention, a cheese sauce product, including vegetables and/or meat, is prepared and maintained frozen for consumer purchase, the preparation being such as to eliminate the objectionable fat separation, to maintain the soft texture of the sauce as it cools, and such that the preparation is readily and efficiently microwavable by the consumer. Large chunks of vegetables and/or meat (particulates) can be included.
By the process of the invention, the cheese sauce with cheese, emulsifying salts, food starch and other ingredients is prepared by heating and mixing, then formed into a sheet and frozen. The frozen sauce is cut into chunks, which may be in the range of about ¼ inch to 1 inch in size, and maintained frozen. Vegetable and/or meat or fish chunks (which can be a mix of vegetables or a mix of vegetables with meat or fish) are individually quick frozen (IQF) separately, and the vegetable or meat chunks are then combined, still frozen, in a package with the frozen cheese sauce chunks. The package is sold frozen to the consumer, who microwaves the frozen chunks of sauce or meat or vegetables together.
It is among the objects of the invention to provide a frozen cheese sauce/particulate product that is efficiently produced, efficiently heated for use by the consumer, and can include large particulates. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
In one preferred form of the cheese sauce preparation and process of the invention, the ingredients and process are as listed below.
Ingredients:
1. Cheese of a meltable type (queso asadero, mozzarella,
Monterey jack, white or orange cheddar, etc.), preferably grated: Approx. 65% (at least about 55% by weight)
2. Heavy cream (about 35% fat, or a range of about 25% to 45% fat): About 32% (about 25% to 40%)
3. Emulsifying salts: About 0.8% (0.5% to 1.5%)
4. Food starch: About 0.65% (0.2% to 1.0%)
5. Salt: About 0.5% to 1.5% (if included)
Basic Process of Ready to Microwave Queso Fundido:
1. Grate Queso Asadero to approx. 2×2 mm
2. Combine emulsifying salts, starch and cheese
3. Heat all ingredients in steam jacketed kettle and mix with scrape surface paddles.
4. Bring cheese mixture to 180° F. (range of about 180° to 200° F., or sufficient to fully melt and preferably pasteurize cheese mixture) and continue mixing for 5 min. (or until fully mixed)
5. Transfer cheese to cooling tray and freeze as a sheet.
6. Cut into 1×1″ approx. cubes, or a size range of about ¼″ to 1½″, not necessarily cubic.
7. Keep frozen Finished pH: Approx. 5.4 (range of about 5 to 6)
Consumer Packaging (Example):
1. 6 oz. of frozen cheese cubes
2. 4 oz. grilled vegetables (or meat of fish) individually quick frozen, chunk size about ⅛″ to 1″
Consumer Direction:
1. Heat pouch into a microwave safe bowl
2. Heat on high for about 2 min. or until cheese cubes are fully melted and hot
3. Stir and serve with chips or fresh tortillas
The above quantities and sizes represent a preferred embodiment of the method and product of the invention and can vary.
The consumer-heated product is a cheese sauce full of large particulates (vegetables, meat or fish), the particulates preferably being in the range of about ⅛ inch to 1 inch in size. In the process, the vegetable/meat particulates preferably are individually quick frozen, so that each is a separate frozen chunk rather than being agglomerated together.
In a preferred form of the preparation, the particulates (vegetables, or meat, etc.) constitute about 30% to 50% by weight in the package, with the cheese sauce constituting about 70% to 50% by weight, and in one preferred product the ratio is about 40:60. All percentages and proportions herein are by weight.
In the process, once the cheese has been formed into a sheet and frozen, it can be cut into any desired shape, with the maximum dimension of the sauce chunks being in the stated preferred range of about ¼ inch to about 1½ inch.
The method and product of the invention prevent agglomeration of components into large frozen bodies, or into a large block in the case of the cheese sauce, as well as avoiding the fat/oil separation and pooling noted above. The result is a more readily and efficiently microwavable end product which remains aesthetic throughout consumer preparation.
Also, as explained above, prior processes have blended sauce and particulates. By avoiding blending, the process herein provides for large chunks of vegetables, meat, etc., each individually quick frozen, to remain in essentially fresh condition and in large size, and to be combined by the consumer with the frozen sauce chunks for heating together. Vegetable chunks are thus not heated until consumption.
Further, the product and method of the invention permit the use of a single cheese sauce with a variety of different types of particulates, for a variety of different end products.
In the claims, references to “meat” in the product or process of the invention is to be understood as meaning meat, fish or chicken, and “vegetable or meat” is intended to include a combination of both. “Cutting” the cheese includes grating.
The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61280428 | Nov 2009 | US |