JP7705261B2 - Method for producing breaded food - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing breaded foods such as croquettes, tonkatsu, and fried shrimp.

Traditionally, cooked foods with breadcrumbs, such as croquettes, tonkatsu, and fried shrimp, have been very popular as side dishes in boxed lunches and other meals. However, when packed or stored in a moist state, such as in boxed lunches, prepared foods, or frozen foods, or when reheated in a microwave, the breadcrumbs absorb moisture and become soggy, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the batter's appearance (sharpness) and its texture (crispyness).

Regarding cooked foods with breadcrumbs, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for a method for producing breadcrumb-coated foods, which comprises the steps of contacting breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution of a gelling agent to cause the breadcrumbs to absorb the aqueous solution, drying the breadcrumbs, and applying the breadcrumbs as a coating to a food substrate.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention for a method for producing a breadcrumb-coated cooked food, which is characterized in that a breadcrumb composition containing 100 parts by mass of dried breadcrumbs, 4 to 50 parts by mass of pregelatinized starch and/or powdered protein, and 0.2 to 6 parts by mass of a thickening polysaccharide is directly attached to a material, and then baked.

For example, Patent Document 3 discloses an invention for a method for producing a breaded food, in which powdered starch and thickening polysaccharides are attached to the surface of dried breadcrumbs, the powdered starch and thickening polysaccharides attached to the dried breadcrumbs are in a total amount of 14 to 70 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the dried breadcrumbs, and the processed breadcrumbs, in which the mass ratio of the powdered starch and thickening polysaccharides is 10:1 to 1:2, are attached directly to a material, and the material is then fried or baked.

Special Publication No. 2002-505092 JP 2012-039913 A JP 2018-133999 A

However, according to the findings of the present inventors, when using dried breadcrumbs, which are convenient in terms of storage stability, the conventional technology alone does not provide sufficient improvements in the adhesion of the coating during cooking, the appearance of the coating when stored in a moist state or reheated in a microwave oven, or the crispness of the coating texture.

In view of the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research and found that the above problems can be solved by mixing breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution containing a binder, causing the breadcrumbs to absorb water, and then attaching the breadcrumbs in the water-absorbed state to an ingredient, thereby completing the present invention. That is, the present invention has the following configuration.
[1] A method for producing a cooked food with breadcrumbs, comprising the steps of: mixing breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution containing a binder; and adhering the breadcrumbs, which have absorbed water by mixing with the aqueous solution, to an ingredient while maintaining the absorbed water.
[2] In the present invention, the ingredient having the breadcrumbs attached thereto is heated and cooked to obtain a cooked breadcrumb-coated food, according to the method for producing the breadcrumb-coated food described in [1] above.
[3] In the present invention, the ingredient with the breadcrumbs attached thereto is frozen as is or after being cooked, to obtain a frozen breadcrumb-coated food, according to the method for producing the breadcrumb-coated food described in [1] above.
[4] In the present invention, the binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose ether, egg white, and whey protein, according to any one of [1] to [3] above.
[5] In the present invention, the method for producing a cooked food with breadcrumbs described in [4] above, wherein the cellulose ether is methylcellulose or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.
[6] In the present invention, the breadcrumbs absorbed by mixing with the aqueous solution are attached to the ingredients in a state in which the moisture content is more than 14% by mass and not more than 40% by mass. The method for producing a breadcrumb-coated cooked food according to any one of [1] to [6] above.
[7] In the present invention, the breadcrumbs are dry breadcrumbs having a moisture content of 14% by mass or less, according to any one of [1] to [7] above.

According to the present invention, by mixing breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution containing a binder, the breadcrumbs are allowed to absorb water, and the breadcrumbs are allowed to adhere to ingredients in this absorbed state. This allows the breadcrumbs to adhere well to the ingredients when cooked, even when dried breadcrumbs, which have good shelf life, are used, and deterioration in the quality of the breadcrumbs, such as the crispness and shape of the breadcrumbs, can be prevented even when the breadcrumbs are stored in a moist state or reheated in a microwave oven.

The present invention provides a method for producing a breaded food product. Here, "breaded food product" refers to a food product in which bread crumbs are attached to a specific ingredient.

Bread crumbs may be any bread crumbs that are generally available for consumption. Bread can also be produced by baking bread using wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast, yeast food, fats and oils, water, and other ingredients by a method such as the roasting method or the electrode method, crushing the bread, and drying it as necessary, so bread crumbs produced in this manner may also be used.

The present invention may be more suitably applied to dried bread crumbs. In this case, the moisture content measured by the dry weight method may be in the range of 14% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, 10% by mass or less, or 9% by mass or less.

The breaded food provided by the present invention is not limited to a specific food. For example, it may be a breaded fried food or fried-like food that uses meat, seafood, crustaceans, vegetables, root vegetables, or pates such as root vegetables or meat as ingredients and is covered with a batter. Specifically, it may be fried meat such as pork cutlet, chicken cutlet, or minced meat cutlet; fried seafood such as fried shrimp or fried squid; croquettes made mainly of mashed potatoes, cream croquettes, and the like.

To apply breadcrumbs to ingredients, for example, you can dust the ingredients with flour and dip them in batter or beaten egg, then place them in a prescribed amount of breadcrumbs, remove them, shake off any excess breadcrumbs, or apply an appropriate amount of breadcrumbs evenly to the component.

In some embodiments, the product may be produced after cooking with breadcrumbs attached, or in other embodiments, the product may be produced with breadcrumbs attached and stored or distributed before cooking. Also, although not limited thereto, the product may be frozen as necessary. In this case, the product may be frozen before cooking with breadcrumbs attached, or after cooking. Thus, for example, a cooked breaded food may be obtained, a frozen breaded food may be obtained, or a cooked and then frozen breaded food may be obtained.

When cooking, the conditions can be as appropriate according to the recipe of the food being used, but for example, frying in cooking oil at 160-190°C is an option. Alternatively, a small amount of oil can be placed in a frying pan and the food can be stir-fried or baked. Alternatively, the food can be baked in an oven, etc.

As described above, the manufacturing method of the present invention can be widely and generally applied to prepared foods with breadcrumbs. However, in the present invention, specific steps must be taken when attaching breadcrumbs to ingredients. Specifically, it is necessary to go through a step of mixing breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution containing a binder, and a step of attaching the breadcrumbs, which have absorbed water through this mixing, to the ingredients while still maintaining their water absorption.

The binder may be any edible material, and is not particularly limited; examples include thickening polysaccharides, starch materials, protein materials, cellulose ethers, etc.

Thickening polysaccharides include guar gum, xanthan gum, curdlan, carrageenan, mannan, locust bean gum, gellan gum, tamarind gum, pectin, sodium alginate, gum arabic, tara gum, etc.

Examples of starchy materials include wheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, and dried potatoes. Other examples include starches such as potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, and kudzu starch, as well as processed starches obtained by subjecting these starches to a single or multiple chemical treatments, such as acid treatment, enzyme treatment, esterification, etherification, and crosslinking, or physical treatments, such as high-frequency treatment, moist heat treatment, and radiation treatment.

Protein ingredients include milk-derived products such as casein and whey protein, egg-derived products such as egg yolk, whole egg, egg white, and dried versions of these such as dried egg yolk, dried whole egg, and dried egg white, as well as plant-derived products such as wheat protein, soy protein, and pea protein.

Examples of cellulose ethers include methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

Among the above-mentioned binders, curdlan, casein, whey protein, dried egg yolk, dried egg white, methylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose are preferred, and whey protein, dried egg white, methylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose are more preferred.

The aqueous solution containing the binder can be prepared by dissolving or thoroughly dispersing the binder in water. The content of the binder can be adjusted so that the aqueous solution has a viscosity that allows uniform mixing when mixed with breadcrumbs. The preferred content varies depending on the type of binder, but may be 0.05 to 15% by mass, 0.1 to 10% by mass, or 0.2 to 8% by mass of the total weight of the aqueous solution.

In addition, the bread crumbs that have absorbed water by mixing with an aqueous solution containing a binder must be attached to the ingredients while maintaining the absorbed water. Although not limited, the moisture content of the bread crumbs when attached to the ingredients may be more than 14% by mass, 18% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, or 22% by mass or more. In addition, "a state in which the absorbed water is maintained" may mean a state in which at least 50% by mass of the moisture absorbed by the bread crumbs is maintained, a state in which 55% by mass or more is maintained, a state in which 60% by mass or more is maintained, a state in which 65% by mass or more is maintained, a state in which 70% by mass or more is maintained, a state in which 75% by mass or more is maintained, or a state in which 80% by mass or more is maintained. If the moisture content is low, the effect of the present invention may not be achieved. In addition, the moisture content may be 40% by mass or less, 38% by mass or less, 36% by mass or less, or 34% by mass or less. Also, if the moisture content is too high, the breadcrumbs may stick together too much and form lumps.

When breadcrumbs are mixed with an aqueous solution containing a binder, the breadcrumbs absorb the water and the binder components are transferred to the breadcrumbs. This causes the breadcrumbs to adhere to each other due to the viscosity of the binder components, and these then adhere to the meat, improving the coating. In addition, the breadcrumbs do not come apart when cooked by heating, such as frying, and the breadcrumbs stand up well. In addition, the hardness of the binder components makes it easier to feel the crispness of the coating.

In addition, in the process of mixing the breadcrumbs with the aqueous solution containing a binder, in addition to the breadcrumbs and the aqueous solution containing a binder, dietary fiber, starchy materials, vegetable proteins, flavoring materials, etc. may be mixed within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Among these, it is preferable to mix granular or fibrous vegetable proteins from the viewpoint of making the breadcrumbs more crispy.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

<Test Example 1>
[1. Binder]
Various binders shown in Table 1 were dissolved in water to prepare aqueous solutions containing the binders.

2. Processing of breadcrumbs
The aqueous solutions containing the binders of Preparation Examples 1 to 11 were mixed with dried bread crumbs (and optionally with defatted soybean products) in the proportions shown in Table 2 to absorb moisture (Examples 1 to 16, Comparative Example 2). Fresh bread crumbs (Reference Example 1) or dried bread crumbs (Comparative Example 1) were used without any treatment.

[3. Pork cutlet cooking, preservation, and tasting]
Pork cutlets were cooked using breadcrumbs that had been treated to absorb water with an aqueous solution containing a binder, or untreated breadcrumbs. Specifically, 2-3 pieces (about 30 g) of pork tenderloin cut to 1 cm width were dusted with flour, dipped in batter, and breadcrumbs were attached. Approximately 1200 mL of edible oil was placed in a frying pan, heated to 170°C, and the breaded pork tenderloin was placed in and fried for 5 minutes.

The two resulting pork cutlets were placed in a plastic container, covered, and left at 20°C for 3 hours. The moisture content inside the plastic container was adjusted by placing 4 g of water in a small open-topped container inside the plastic container. After leaving it at 20°C for 3 hours, it was microwaved (600W, 50 seconds) and left for 3 minutes, after which the lid was opened and the pork cutlets were observed and tasted.

[4. Evaluation and Results]
After the dry bread crumbs had absorbed the water, the moisture content of the bread crumb composition was measured under the following measurement conditions.
(Measurement conditions)
Microwave oil/moisture meter: SMART TURBO (CEM)
POWER: 60%
Temperature: MAX 120℃
Constant Weight method/Delta Weight: 0.5mg
・Delta Time: 15 seconds

The ratio of meat weight to breaded weight was calculated using the following formula.
Percentage of breading = [(total weight) - (weight of meat)] / (weight of meat) x 100

In addition, a sensory evaluation was carried out by six expert panelists who scored the samples according to the following criteria, and the average score was calculated.
(Appearance of the clothing)
4 points: Very sharp 3 points: Sharp 2 points: Slight sharp 1 point: No sharp (Comparative Example 1, which does not contain a binder, was given a score of 1.)
(Crisp of the batter)
4 points: Quite crisp; 3 points: Crisp; 2 points: Slightly crisp; 1 point: No crisp (Comparative Example 1, which does not contain a binder, was given a score of 1).

Table 3 shows the evaluation results along with an overview of the compounding composition for each example.

As a result, the following became clear:
(1) As seen from the results of Reference Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, when dried breadcrumbs were used, the evaluations of coating adhesion, crispness, and batter crispness were all worse than those of fresh breadcrumbs.
(2) As seen from the results of Examples 1 and 2, when dried bread crumbs were made to absorb water using an aqueous solution containing guar gum or glutinous rice starch (gelatinized) as a binder, the evaluations of coating adhesion and crispness tended to improve. However, no improvement was observed in the evaluation of the blade standing.
(3) As seen from the results of Examples 3 to 8, when dried bread crumbs were allowed to absorb water using an aqueous solution containing hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, methylcellulose, dried egg white, or whey protein concentrate as a binder, there was a tendency for the evaluation results to improve in terms of batter adhesion, blade stand, and batter crispiness.
(4) As seen from the results of Examples 4 to 8, when dry breadcrumbs were allowed to absorb water using an aqueous solution containing methylcellulose (MCE-400), methylcellulose (MCE-100TS), or methylcellulose (MCE-4000) as a binder, the evaluations of the firmness and crispness of the batter were either equivalent to or improved upon those of fresh breadcrumbs.
(5) As seen in the results of Example 9, when dried bread crumbs were absorbed with an aqueous solution containing methylcellulose (MCE-400) as a binder and then mixed with a defatted soybean product, the evaluations of coating, sharpness, and crispness of the coating were all improved more than when fresh bread crumbs were used. This was a more significant improvement than the results of Example 4, when methylcellulose (MCE-400) was used alone.
(6) As can be seen from the results of comparing Example 6 with Examples 10 and 11, when an aqueous solution containing methylcellulose (MCE-4000) as a binder was used and the amount added to the dried breadcrumbs was reduced or increased, the evaluation of the coating tendency tended to be slightly worse, but the evaluations of the firmness and crispiness were both good.
(7) As can be seen from the comparison between Example 6 and Example 12, when an aqueous solution containing methylcellulose (MCE-4000) as a binder was used and the concentration of the binder was doubled when added to the dried breadcrumbs, the evaluation of the coating tendency tended to be slightly worse, but the evaluations of the firmness and crispiness were both good.
(8) As can be seen from the comparison of Example 7 with Examples 13 and 14, when an aqueous solution containing dried egg white was used as a binder and the amount added to the dried breadcrumbs was reduced or increased, the evaluation of coating tendency tended to be slightly worse, but the evaluations of sword-like texture and crispiness were both good.
(9) As can be seen from the comparison between Example 7 and Example 15, when an aqueous solution containing dried egg white was used as a binder and the concentration of the binder was doubled when added to the dried breadcrumbs, the evaluation of the coating tendency tended to be slightly worse, but the evaluations of the firmness and crunchiness were both good.
(10) As can be seen from the comparison between Example 8 and Example 16, when an aqueous solution containing whey protein concentrate was used as a binder and the concentration of the binder was doubled when added to the dried breadcrumbs, the breadcrumbs received higher evaluations in terms of firmness and crispiness of the coating, while the breadcrumbs had the same adhesion.

<Test Example 2>
In the same manner as in Example 6 of Test Example 1, dried bread crumbs were absorbed with an aqueous solution containing methylcellulose (MCE-4000) as a binder. The bread crumb composition was spread on a tray and left to dry at room temperature for 1.5 hours or 4 hours. A pork cutlet was cooked and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 6 of Test Example 1, except that the bread crumb composition thus absorbed was dried. The results are shown in Table 4 together with the results of Example 6 and Comparative Example 1 of Test Example 1.

As a result, even if dried bread crumbs were treated with an aqueous solution containing a binder, when they were then left for a specified time before being used to cook pork cutlets, the moisture content decreased, and the evaluations of the batter attachment, the flakes, and the crispness of the batter in Treatment Example 2-1 decreased. Also, the evaluations of the batter attachment, the flakes, and the crispness of the batter in Treatment Example 2-2 were equivalent to those in Comparative Example 1.

Claims (5)

A method for producing a breaded food product, comprising the steps of: mixing breadcrumbs with an aqueous solution containing a binder; and adhering the breadcrumbs, which have absorbed water by mixing with the aqueous solution, to an ingredient while maintaining the absorbed water,
The binder is one or more selected from the group consisting of cellulose ether, egg white, and whey protein,
The bread crumbs are dry bread crumbs having a moisture content of 14% by mass or less . The method for producing a breaded food product according to claim 1, wherein the ingredient with the breadcrumbs attached thereto is heated and cooked to obtain a cooked breaded food product. The method for producing a breaded food product according to claim 1, wherein the ingredient to which the breadcrumbs are attached is frozen as is or after cooking to obtain a frozen breaded food product. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose ether is methylcellulose or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. The method for producing a cooked food with breadcrumbs according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the breadcrumbs absorbed by mixing with the aqueous solution are attached to the ingredients in a state in which the moisture content is more than 14% by mass and not more than 40% by mass.