Abstract: A process for processing protein product involves providing a meat product in a raw state, searing at least one outside surface of the meat product so that the meat product, save for the at least one outside surface, remains in the raw state, slicing the meat product into a plurality of slices, vacuum sealing a stack of the slices within a pouch with the slices of the stack directly stacked together, and cooking the vacuum sealed slices of the stack stacked together such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the stacked slices remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the stack prior to the slicing, and such that the slices do not coagulate together as a result of the vacuum sealing and cooking.

Abstract: A process for processing animal protein product involves providing a meat product in a raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F., slicing the meat product into a plurality of meat slices that are 1.0-9.0 mm thick, vacuum sealing a stack of the meat slices within a pouch with the meat slices of the stack stacked together in direct meat-to-meat contact, and cooking the vacuum sealed meat slices of the stack stacked together such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing.

Abstract: A process for processing animal protein product involves providing a meat product in a raw state having a core temperature of 32-34° F., slicing the meat product into a plurality of meat slices that are 1.0-9.0 mm thick, vacuum sealing a stack of the meat slices within a pouch with the meat slices of the stack stacked together in direct meat-to-meat contact, and cooking the vacuum sealed meat slices of the stack stacked together such that, during the cooking, the cut faces of the meat slices of the stack remain in contact with one another to essentially maintain the size and entire outer surface shape of the stack of meat slices to have the size and entire outer surface shape of the entirety of the meat forming the stack prior to the slicing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method involves continuously conveying a plurality of solid food products to a plurality of loading stations where the solid food products can be loaded onto racks, each station including an apparatus for stacking a plurality of the loaded racks into a batch. The apparatus further includes a plurality of cookers capable of simultaneously cooking the solid food products provided on the loaded, stacked racks as a batch, and a batch conveyor for conveying the plurality of loaded, stacked racks as a batch to one of a plurality of cookers, where the solid food products in the batch are cooked under the same conditions. The apparatus also includes an unloading station to which a plurality of loaded, stacked racks are conveyed as a batch by the batch conveyor after the solid food products provided thereon have been cooked in one of the plurality of cookers.

Abstract: A process for processing animal protein product involves cutting an unpasteurized piece of the product into slices, vacuum sealing the sliced unpasteurized product in a pouch with the slices stacked tightly together, cooking the vacuum sealed product to at least its pasteurization temperature while vacuum sealed within the pouch, and refrigerating or freezing the pasteurized product still sealed in the pouch.

Abstract: A process for processing animal protein product involves cutting a substantially raw piece of the product into slices, vacuum sealing the sliced raw product in a pouch with the slices stacked tightly together, cooking the vacuum sealed product to at least its pasteurization temperature while vacuum sealed within the pouch, and refrigerating or freezing the pasteurized product still sealed in the pouch.