A flexible, strip-shaped food product is made by comminuting substantially
frozen meat and heating the comminuted meat to at least partially
denature the meat proteins and cooling the cooked meat. About 4% by
weight to about 45% by weight of wheat flour is admixed with the cooked
meat, along with other ingredients, to form a dough. Use of the wheat
flour unexpectedly increases tensile strength of the dough and products
baked from the dough, and maintains flexibility of the strip-shaped food
products over an extended period of time. Cooking of the meat in the
presence of salt unexpectedly increases water activity of the pieces,
resulting in a product that has a skin and a moist middle, while
maintaining tensile strength. The dough is rotary-molded into
strip-shaped pieces. The rotary mold may have angled die cups. The
strip-shaped dough pieces are then baked and dried.