Basic

This week was spent in a basic meat processing course.

I may not be really into this processing but I wanted the basic knowledge so I can discuss our products with consumers and when dreaming of new products in my mind, I can sort of know from step 1 if it is workable or not.

Glad I took this class. From sanitation and hygiene, observance of safety (one of us had his toe fractured), preparation, packing, costing....the more you learn, you are snapped out and awaken to the fact that you don't know enough.

Why did I join? So I can understand my mind's creativity in developing my sausages :)

We have now signed up for the Advance Class. Thank you to BAI's APDC. There are good men in uniforms and lab gowns :)

PS: No stools. no seats in laboratories and processing areas. After these, I appreciate the food processors!

2nd Round

of taste testing :)

The 1st round had 2 age groups. My age and the older and experienced ones. The older ones liked the garlicky Vigan type and the spicey Italian and the sweetish skinless. My age group wanted the spicey Italian, found the Vigan and herby type bland, but they want that developed as the interesting taste is there, but you know...masarap but may kulang? Doc Rey liked the skinless and the patties...same as the APDC taste panel.

I think it was the mass pinoy taste buds. They didn't like the herby type. But then, I am targetting a niche market. The ones that have higher notch in taste buds and want to eat healthy.

2nd round was last Friday...my age group again but diverse as we invited two (2) discriminating men hahahhahaha. One was involved in a company for layers and pig production.

I brought out the 1st batch of herby that APDC and Doc Rey didn't really want as the herbs were strong on their taste. THIS IS IT my friends now say, strong taste not bland. I knew it, that was why I kept the unwanted batch as it suited me. The Adobo was really appreciated too. The Blue Eagle men liked all, and discussion was focused on the health benefits, since one of them is all too knowing of how commercial animals are raised :(

No help. I prepared it myself. Brought out my electric grill and just set it to cook a few minutes before they arrived. Thank you for cellphones. Having guests is less stressful as you are prepared at the right time. Wine flutes, several chilled Reds, cheeses

Thank you to my friends who washed up after. I don't get jumpy when they come over.

Now we are preparing to go into production of our Sunshine Sausages.

So Sage, Sausage

So sensible, so wise.

It was a perfect time to bring out the sausage platters that we had developed from the Sunshine Chickens.

Why so? We were in the company of family and friends.

1st stop: In Santiago City, Isabela. Family on Doc Rey's side had the usual Christmas party. Served on the drinking table for pulutan. I didn't think it will be rated well and delicious as we centered on taste buds of the Metro folks. The men liked it.

Next stop: Last night's Cheese and Wine with my forever friends from Maryknoll high school yet. For a cross section, we invited my mother's best friend in her 70s, and Mr. Zac Sarian of Agriculture Magazine. It rated very well with Tita Pilar and Zac. I gifted Father Mon, our parish priest, some sauasages and fresh eggs last week, and Tita Pilar said that Father Mon raved about it infront of other parishioners.

My 20yr old son, Rocky, also joined the group. He is a health buff and watches his diet so well. His likes was taken into consideration when we developed this.

My friends...oh they will always be critical to a fault...but its always for the good of everyone :) They all said it was great, but lacking in blah blah black sheep hahahhahha. But, no negative reactions...,.,which means it was so good already, knowing them!

I was prepared with my camera, but as always in good times, I forget to take photos!

Discussion centered on the reasons for developing the product. It started with planning for value added products aside from the dressed chickens. Brainstorming about other business ideas, beyond the raising...where else and who else can earn from the endeavors? The clamor for healthy products. The segment of the ready to cook food had to be looked into.

Repeat. We had APDC of BAI develop these so sage sausages for us. We were both equally ecstatic about reinventing meat processing without preservatives.

I texted Salve of APDC first thing this morning to congratulate her as it met the taste buds of the cross section of our target market. It faired well with all ages and cultural slices.

So sage...it has a nice ring! I should use it as branding! ...what do you think?

HHWW

Its now what you thought... "holding hands while walking"!

My work in marketing takes me to working with so many people from different agencies and offices. Met a lot of great minds that inspire you. We always shun from walking into government agencies...but hey....there a lot of them who really do work hard and beyond the call of duty.

One such agency is the Animal Products Development Center under Bureau of Animal Industry.

Because of distance and schedules, I am late in the pick up for sensory analysis (taste test in simpler terms) of my requested products to be developed. We had scheduled already a date for processing but they want to us to do several taste tests before going final on volume quantities. Again, I had to beg off till Monday the 14th.

Today I get a text that since we have a schedule for production and they want to make sure also that the products pass the sensory analysis for both parties, I can pick up the products tomorrow. I had to reread the text message and confirm that "tomorrow" is a Saturday.

"Yes" was the reply. Thank you. Open your heart to good service of civil servants. They are there to assist.... "helping hands while working".

HAManok

We had commissioned a group to develop chemical free ham for our Sunshines. Let me share with you our initial recipe. They are working on several sausages and patties, aside from the HAManok :) Great gift and business idea. No curing period needed :)

Again....the income is not just in the raising....look beyond the cages.

HAManok
I. Meat Material		Quantity
	Chicken , whole, dressed	1 pc
II. Brine Solution	for 10 kg meat)
	Water	1250.00 g
	Refined salt	180.00 g
	Refined sugar	2.50 g
	Smoke flavor	3.00 g
	Oil of Anise (1 drop)	.06 g
	Oil of Cloves (1 drop)	.08 g
	Maplein (2 drops)	.12 g
III. Dry cure mixture
	Refined sugar	35.00 g
	Refined salt	18.00 g
IV.COOKING INGREDIENTS (per kg meat)
	Brown sugar	150.00 g
	Pineapple juice	125.00 g
	Anisado wine	60.00 g
	Bay leaf (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Cloves (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Oregano leaves	few strands
	Water just enough to cover the meat
Processing
CLEAN	whole chicken
REMOVE	oil gland and neck
WEIGH	Cleaned chicken
PREPARE	brine by mixing cold water with other ingredients
BRINE	mix cold water with other ingredients
INJECT	20% (or 1/2 cup brine) per kg of meat using a brine pump
APPLY	dry cure mixture inside and outside the carcass. Let stand for
	overnight in the refrigerator.
WASH	Chicken with tap water, drain and tie with abaca twine or
	cotton thread to maintain the shape.
COOK	meat with cooking ingredients until tender
CARAMELIZE	by applying brown sugar applied on the surface by using blow
	torch or in oven
PACK	in paperlyne (plastic wrap) and store in freezer

Walking Around

I didn't want to discuss this beforehand, but someone said that it was written about in the newspaper about us developing products for the free range chicken...so better you hear it from me.

Immerse, be one, learn, walk around.

Product development is the same. You have to use your senses in all manners. We are so excited to be in the middle of developing products: Our hamanok, patties, bbq and sausages that comes - sweet skinless, Vigan style (garlicky), Italian (spicy, herbs) and Polish (herbs).

We have remained focused to our niche market. That is the group of consumers we are targeting here. The ones who want food seasoned with natural ingredients, no preservatives. Taste wise? I was my gauge :)

It took me several days also to search for the ingredients to be used. Walking around, asking, talking and tasting. We didn't scrimp. Its the quality that we are after, since we have to rely on the natural flavors to bring out the best.

We had to debone...and do we just sell the wings as is? Nope, now we have tried on a recipe for wings too :) I didn't want to get into the special cuts anyway. Too tedious.

Really excited about this. Now how to cook...broil, grill, turbo etc....healthy ways to do it.

Thank you to Animal Products Development Center (APDC) of BAI for being all agog with us.

Developing

Neverending. Continuing. Forever.

Our ball has not stopped rolling. We have to always be changing for the better and development and marketing never ceases. You can't market stale ideas and products so new ideas have to always be cooking.

The past days, the word "Cooking" was the key word for me. Yesterday we visited Animal Products Development Center of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Most helpful team! Does the DA pride and Joy :)

We toured around the slaughtering facilities, waste disposal systems the meat processing section and their training areas. They met with us regarding the products we want to be developed. They had a more than tight schedule, what with the Christmas season etc etc. But, they gave in to our request to squeeze us into their development and processing schedule. Ahhh, you know me by now? Why wait for a schedule to process after development when I trust that they will come up with good products. So, why wait for 2010? I asked them already for processing sched to meet Christmas offerings.

They knew exactly what I wanted as we started describing our grass fed line of Sunshines. They are equally excited to develop recipes that are chemical free.

Niche marketing...