US 11,785,959 B2
Fast chilling method for improving beef tenderness
Yimin Zhang, Taian (CN); Xin Luo, Taian (CN); Yanwei Mao, Taian (CN); Rongrong Liang, Taian (CN); Pengcheng Dong, Taian (CN); Xiaoyin Yang, Taian (CN); Yunge Liu, Taian (CN); and Xue Chen, Taian (CN)
Assigned to SHANDONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, Taian (CN)
Filed by SHANDONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, Taian (CN)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/121,058.
Claims priority of application No. 202210250850.1 (CN), filed on Mar. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0292775 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. A23B 4/00 (2006.01); A23B 4/06 (2006.01); A23L 13/70 (2023.01); A22B 5/00 (2006.01); F25D 23/00 (2006.01); A22C 17/00 (2006.01); F25D 17/02 (2006.01)
CPC A23B 4/068 (2013.01) [A22B 5/0076 (2013.01); A22C 17/004 (2013.01); A23L 13/70 (2016.08); F25D 17/02 (2013.01); F25D 23/006 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fast chilling method for improving beef tenderness,
comprising steps as follows:
step 1, sample pretreatment: taking beef longissimus dorsi muscle after slaughter, removing surface fat and connective tissue, and vacuum packaging;
step 2, rapid chilling: rapidly transferring a pre-treated sample completed in the step 1 to a chilling equipment for chilling to a sample temperature of −3° C., wherein the chilling is completed within 5 h after the slaughter;
step 3, chilling and aging at super-chilled temperature: transferring the samples rapidly chilled in the step 2 to a cold storage, and continuing chilling and aging until 24 h after the slaughter; and
step 4, refrigerating and aging: cutting the sample equally into slices with a thickness of 2.5 cm 24 h after the slaughter, and then completing a vacuum skin packaging and refrigerating for aging;
wherein the chilling equipment comprises: a chilling shell, wherein the chilling shell has propylene glycol solution provided inside, a thermal insulation mechanism provided on an outer wall of the chilling shell, a driving shell provided on a bottom surface of the chilling shell, a removable end cap provided on a top surface of the chilling shell, a driving mechanism provided on the bottom surface of the chilling shell, a clamping mechanism provided on a top of the driving mechanism, a plurality of stirring mechanisms provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction at a top of the chilling shell, a chilling mechanism provided on a bottom surface of an inner cavity of the driving shell, an extension rod is fixedly connected to a top surface of an inner cavity of the chilling shell, a temperature sensor is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of the extension rod, and the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the chilling mechanism;
the clamping mechanism comprises a clamping plate, wherein a top surface of the clamping plate is provided with a plurality of through holes, an inner wall of each of the through holes is fixedly connected with a connecting cylinder; a bottom surface of the connecting cylinder are fixedly connected with a plurality of limiting rods at equal intervals in a circumferential direction, bottoms of the plurality of limiting rods are fixedly connected with a bottom plate, a sampling ring is sleeved outside the bottom plate, an inner wall of the sampling ring is in sliding contact with outer walls of the plurality of limiting rods, and an inner wall of a top of the sampling ring is fixedly connected with a plurality of connecting rods; one end of each of the plurality of connecting rods passes through a gap between corresponding two adjacent limiting rods and is fixedly connected with a sampling plate; a bottom surface of the clamping plate is fixedly connected with a rotating column, and a bottom surface of the rotating column is fixedly connected with top surface of the driving mechanism.