Chicken Ring Cooking Device and Method

Abstract

A commercial cooking apparatus is provided for simultaneous steaming and two-sided grilling of food items having non-uniform thickness and/or variations in nominal thickness. The apparatus includes a compressible, heat-resistant ring member, and optionally a flexible, non-stick, heat-resistant film material associated with the ring member to form a cavity defined by the inner perimeter of the ring member. A cooking method is also disclosed, wherein a food item and a quantity of water are introduced into the cavity, and the food item is simultaneously cooked by the heated upper and lower platens of a conventional clamshell grill or similar apparatus and by steam generated by heating the water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for cooking a solid food item, with a compressible, heat-resistant ring member having a bottom, a top, and an inner perimeter defining an area sufficient to contain a food item to be cooked and with a lower cooking surface and an upper cooking surface, comprising:
 placing the bottom of the ring member on the lower cooking surface to form a cavity defined by the lower cooking surface and the inner perimeter;   introducing the solid food item into the cavity so that a portion of the food item contacts the lower cooking surface;   placing the upper cooking surface in contact with an upper portion of the food item and in contact with the top of the ring member to at least substantially enclose the cavity; and   cooking the food item with heat from the upper and lower cooking surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower cooking surfaces each comprise a respective upper and lower cooking platen and further comprising heating the upper and lower cooking platens to heat the upper and lower cooking surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower cooking surfaces each comprise a respective upper and lower cooking platen, the upper and lower cooking surfaces being defined by respective cooking surfaces of the upper and lower cooking platens. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the lower cooking surface comprising a top side of a flexible, non-stick, heat resistant film material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the upper cooking surface comprising a bottom side of a flexible, non-stick, heat resistant film material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 introducing water into the cavity;   heating the water with heat from the lower cooking surface to produce steam, and   steaming the food item with the steam.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising substantially retaining the water and steam within the cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising retaining the steam within the cavity at a gauge pressure of from about 0.5 psig to about 3.0 psig. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the food item and ring member have different uncompressed heights, and the method further comprises dosing a heated upper platen onto a top face of the ring member and the food item comprises compressing the height of the taller of the food item and ring member to a height less than or equal to the uncompressed height of the shorter of the food item and ring member. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , said compressing the height comprising compressing the height of the ring member to a height less than or equal to the uncompressed height of the food item and being performed when the food item is in an at least partially frozen state. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying compression force to the ring member to reduce the height of the ring member by about 10% to about 50% per 2 psi of compression force applied. 
     
     
         12 . A method for simultaneous steaming and two-sided grilling of a food item with heated upper and lower platens with a compressible, heat-resistant ring member having a bottom, a top, and an inner perimeter, comprising:
 disposing the bottom of the ring member in contact with the heated lower platen to form a cavity defined by the heated lower platen and the inner perimeter of the ring member for containing a food item to be cooked;   introducing the food item into the cavity;   contacting the ring member and the food item with the upper heated platen; and   cooking the food item with heat from the heated platens.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 adding water to the cavity;   heating the water with heat from the heated lower platen to produce steam; and   steaming the food item with the steam.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising substantially retaining the water and steam within the cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising retaining the steam within the cavity at a gauge pressure of from about 0.5 psig to about 3.0 psig. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , the food item and ring member having different uncompressed heights, and said dosing the heated upper platen onto the ring member and the food item comprising compressing the height of the taller of the food item and ring member to a height less than or equal to the uncompressed height of the shorter of the food item and ring member. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , said compressing the height comprising compressing the height of the ring member to a height less than or equal to the uncompressed height of the food item and being performed when the food item is in an at least partially frozen state. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising applying compression force to the ring member to reduce the height of the ring member by about 10% to about 50% per 2 psi of compression force applied. 
     
     
         19 . A method for cooking a food item, with a compressible, heat-resistant ring member defining an inner perimeter of an area sufficient to contain the food item to be cooked with a lower cooking surface and an upper cooking surface, comprising:
 placing the bottom of the ring member on the lower cooking surface to form a cavity defined by the lower cooking surface and the inner perimeter;   introducing the food item into the cavity that rests on the lower cooking surface;   placing the upper cooking surface in contact with a top face of the food item and in association with the top face of the ring member to at least substantially enclose the cavity; and   cooking the food item with heat from the upper and lower cooking surfaces.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising compressing the ring member during cooking to reduce the height of the ring member by at least 10% of its uncompressed height.