1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooking spherical food products, such as meatballs, shrimp balls, cakeballs, Swedish meatballs, fish balls and the like. More specifically, the present invention device is a device which could be used over an open flame, over a flat grill, or in an open or closed pan, but is primarily to be used in an oven. The present invention device is uniquely structured to hold spherical food products, semi-spherical food products and similarly shaped food items, and provides for heat application and simultaneous grease drainage. Thus, the present invention aids in the preparation of the aforementioned types of foods in a fat-removing manner to yield healthier results. For example, frying of meatballs and the grease that they soak in during frying is substantially reduced or eliminated.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Meatballs are traditionally hand made (hand rolled), fried and then sauteed in sauce or served with sauce as a side dish. Fishballs and shrimp balls are made like shrimp toast and are deep fried and cooking grease-laden. These items are not normally baked and traditional frying apparatus is used.
On the other hand, there are many devices available for baking, such as Corningware by Corning Glass of Corning, N.Y., baking pans shaped for pies, cupcakes, ring cakes, etc., but none for baking spherical food products with grease drainage provisions as in the present invention.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention is a device for baking spherical food products. It includes a main support, made of material capable of sustaining a temperature of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which has an outer perimeter for nesting atop a pan or its equivalent, e.g., a cake pan, brownie pan, cookie tin, a pot, a frying pan, or even a piece of aluminum foil folded on its edges to act like a pan. The primary purpose of the pan is to receive and hold grease and drippings from the food products being cooked in the present invention devices.
The main support of the present invention device includes a plurality of semispherical recesses, each having a predetermined outer radius, and being located on the main support, typically in an orderly fashion, and having a plurality of drainage holes located thereon.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the device main support and the plurality of semispherical recesses are unistructurally formed, that is, they are made out of a single piece of metal, ceramic or glass. Alternatively, the device may be made of separate, assembled pieces. Thus, the present invention may be formed of a high temperature tolerant material such as metal, ceramic and glass. The device may also have a non-stick coating. In some cases, the present invention device may be made of strong, disposable metal foil, such as is used for disposable turkey roasting pans.
In some preferred embodiments, the device main support may be a solid, flat structure, and the plurality of recesses located thereon, arranged in a predetermined pattern. For example, the predetermined pattern may be in rows and columns, i.e., having a generally rectangular periphery. One preferred embodiment is an array of drainage holes of three rows with four drainage holes in each row. In other embodiments, a pan is included which has a solid bottom and walls which have a height which greater than the outer radius of the plurality of semispherical recesses so as to support the main support and plurality of drainage holes to permit drainage of cooking liquids of a product cooked therein away from the recesses.
The device may have plurality of drainage holes having a preset diameter, e.g., of about xe2x85x9 of an inch. A preferred arrangement is where there is one drainage hole located at a center low point and a plurality of additional drainage holes located radially outwardly therefrom.
The present invention includes embodiments where the device relies upon its own support to sit up off a drain-receiving surface. Thus, the device may further include a plurality of legs extending downwardly from the main support. Typically, these legs are each of a length greater than an outer radius of the spherical recesses.