1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of food preparation, and more specifically to an elevated cutting board apparatus for reducing the fat content of pan-cooked foods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fatty foods are generally understood to cause weight gain, high cholesterol, heart disease, and various other health complications in humans. The fatty drippings of meat rendered during pan cooking are retained in the pan. The benefits of a low fat diet are well known, and the removal of fats from the food is highly desired.
Ground beef is a food ingredient often used daily in many households. The usual method of preparation is usually provided on the product label, specifically, cooking the beef until it is browned and then draining off the excess liquefied fat. However, there is no method provided for draining the fat.
One method typically used by consumers is to use a colander. The cooked ground beef and excess liquefied fat are all poured together into a colander, and the fat is allowed to drain out the bottom. The difficulty is that some of the beef particles slip through the colander holes. Moreover, this is also known to be a particularly messy practice, because the liquefied fat droplets drain, traveling a distance along the semi-spherical surface along the underside of the colander, and the droplets cool. The cooled fats turn solid on the colander, thereby clogging some of the colander holes. Generally, this is also considered a messy, undesirable method.
One prior art invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,779 by Zimmerman is entitled ‘Pan Tilting Apparatus’. This invention is a structure adapted to rest upon a surface surrounding a conventional stovetop burner. A pan of cooking food remains on the burner. Gravity causes the fats to accumulate in a resulting lower side of the pan, while the food contents is cooked on the pan surface at an area higher along the gradient caused by the invention. The problem with this invention is that the entire amount of the fat accumulates deep and splatters on or around the nearby burners, thereby risking flashovers and grease fires.
Another reference, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0036797 A1, Pub. Feb. 17, 2011, describes an inclined pan holder apparatus which holds a pan of a cooked food at an incline for fat removal, but is, not built with stabilized rod bars, allowing for use as a multiple purpose cutting board.
Another method is to tilt the cooking vessel, thereby allowing gravity to separate the fats from the meat. The meat is then spooned out of the vessel, with care to avoid the pooled liquid fat. However, this method is awkward and dangerous. The meat particles often slide or roll into the pooled fats, causing splashing of fat droplets onto the surrounding area. This method is also difficult because the user cannot determine an extent to which the cooking vessel should be inclined, often relying on the slope of a raised stovetop burner to provide a gradient to drain the fats. Alternatively, the user may hold a handle of the cooking vessel, such as a pan, and tilt the pan so the fats drain away. These methods are awkward and inefficient, and may be fire hazards, because they promote grease splatter near a stovetop.
There is a need for an invention that supports a cooking vessel, such as a frying pan, off and away from the stove top, for the purpose of safely draining the hot liquefied fats. The present invention is such a device with a solid heat-resistant base, such as a cutting board made of tempered wood, granite, or steel, and a means to support the vessel securely and firmly in an inclined orientation so that gravity can be used to separate liquids from food.