MEAT GLUE (TRANSGLUTAMINASE - ACTIVA RM)

WHAT IS MEAT GLUE (TG)?

TG is a naturally occurring enzyme in plants, animals, and bacteria. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts in chemical reactions; they speed up reactions and make reactions occur that otherwise wouldn’t. Although TG is a newcomer to the kitchen, cooks have used enzymes for thousands of years. Enzymes in papaya, for instance, are traditionally used as meat tenderizers. Enzymes that break down starches into sugar are used to brew beer. Naturally occurring enzymes in meat tenderize dry-aged steaks and give cured meats their distinctive flavors. Enzymes are the reason fresh pineapples hurt your mouth. They also keep gelatin from setting.

TG bonds protein molecules together with a very strong bond by linking two amino acids: glutamine and lysine. TG was first identified in 1959 and isolated for testing and research in the 1960’s. Guinea pig liver provided the first commercially available form of TG. Though researched for food applications, TG was not widely used at the time because it was expensive, difficult to refine, and required calcium to work. In 1989, after testing over five thousands strains of microbes, researchers at the Japanese company Ajinomoto (best known for the production of MSG) discovered a strain of soil bacteria, Streptoverticillium mobaraense, which produced large quantities of easily purified TG. This TG is called microbial TG, or mTG. Besides being easy to produce, mTG does not require calcium and is very easy to use.

WHAT CAN IT DO?

Transglutaminase (TG or TGase), better known to chefs as “Meat Glue,” has the ability to bond protein-containing foods together. Raw meats bound with TG are often strong enough to be handled as if they were whole uncut muscles. TG is safe, natural, and easy to use. In the kitchen, TG is primarily used to:

  • Make uniform portions that cook evenly, look good, and reduce waste
  • Bind meat mixtures like sausages without casings
  • Make novel meat combinations like lamb and scallops
  • Produce special effects like meat noodles, meat and vegetable pastas (using gelatin as a binder), etc. Additionally, TG can thicken egg yolks, strengthen dough mixtures, thicken dairy systems, and increase yield in tofu production, among other useful applications.
  • This primer is aimed at giving the basics of meat glue—not recipes.

SAFETY | TASTE | NUTRITION

TG is safe. It will not harm you or glue your hands together. TG is deactivated by most cooking techniques and imparts no off-flavors to foods. (There is some debate about off-flavors. Read the next section, Long, Long Story.) TG is delivered as a powder and, like all powders, should not be inhaled. TG should not be consumed directly in large quantities, but consuming active TG in the levels recommended for food usage is harmless. TG is classified by the FDA as a GRAS product (generally recognized as safe) when used properly. Although some studies have shown that stomach enzymes have difficulty breaking down proteins after they have been bonded by TG, other studies have shown that these bonded proteins are absorbed and broken down in the body into normal products as though they had never been bonded.

GETTING TG | TYPES OF TG

Ajinomoto is the only producer of food grade TG, marketed under the brand name Activa. Ajinomoto offers Activa to individuals in 1 pound increments. A kilo currently costs roughly $60 and will glue over 100 pounds of meat paste and a substantially larger amount of whole muscle pieces. Activa is also available through some online retailers. Activa is not pure TG, as the pure form is too concentrated to use easily. Instead, Ajinomoto blends TG with fillers (maltodextrin, a break-down product of starch) and other functional ingredients to suit the end needs of the user. The types available are:

TYPES

  • ACTIVA RM: Most chefs use RM, which is designed to bond even problem foods like chicken breasts and cooked meats. RM is a mixture of TG, maltodextrin, and the helper protein sodium caseinate. Sodium caseinate is a water soluble protein derived from milk, and TG bonds it extremely well. The caseinate in Activa RM fills in the gaps between the pieces being glued, making up for any lack of available protein in the food itself. RM can be sprinkled on like a powder, mixed with 4 times its weight in water to make a slurry, or added directly into meat mixtures. Even if a recipe doesn’t require the extra bonding insurance caseinate provides, there is no disadvantage to having it mixed with the TG. For most applications, RM is the only TG you will ever need.
  • ACTIVA GB : GB (“greatest bond”) is a mixture of TG, maltodextrin, gelatin, and an anti-caking agent. Gelatin is bonded extremely well by TG and therefore Activa GB forms strong bonds. It is not as versatile as RM because it cannot be made into a slurry, it is more sensitive to water, and it has a shorter working time. If you need a stronger bond, GB is useful.
  • ACTIVA GS: GS is the newest addition to the Activa line. It is nice because it can be left out on the counter all day without going bad. Like GB, it is a mixture of TG, maltodextrin, and gelatin, with added polyphosphate salts and a little oil. It is always used in the form of a slurry of 4 parts water to one part Activa GS. The polyphosphates make the slurry alkaline (basic, high pH). The enzyme is inactive at high pH, so the slurry is stable all day. Once the slurry is painted on meat, the pH drops, the enzymes become active, and gluing begins.
  • ACTIVA TI and TIU: TI is simply TG and maltodextrin with no added helper protein. TIU is the Kosher version of TI and is the only Kosher TG available. TI is packaged at twice the enzyme level as RM or GB. It can be sprinkled or made into a slurry. It will not bond as wide a range of foods as RM.
  • ACTIVA YG: YG a mixture of TG, lactose, maltodextrin, yeast extract, and safflower oil. It is designed to thicken and improve the texture of dairy systems like yogurt and cheese.
  • ACTIVA FP: FP is similar to RM but contains skim milk powder, which is friendlier on a nutrition label than caseinate (the useful part of skim milk powder). FP is useful for marketing a product that has an ingredients declaration.

HOW TO USE TG

Activa RM is usually sprinkled over the pieces of meat to be bonded. Sprinkle enough RM on both surfaces to form a complete dusting; even out the coating with a brush. Alternatively, dip the pieces directly into the RM. RM can also be mixed with 4 parts by weight of water to form a slurry to paint on the meat. Don’t mix more slurry than will be used within 20 minutes, and discard the slurry after 30 minutes—the bonding power degrades over time because the caseinate in the RM will bond to itself.

A) correct amount of Activa sprinkled out of a bag || B) way too much Activa sprinkled out of the bag || C) sometimes it is easier to sprinkle out of a shaker || D) a 4:1 slurry painted on

When bonding a mixture, add RM by weight. Typically, RM is used at .75% to 1% by weight of the mixture being bonded. 1 kilogram of mixture will require 10 grams of RM. The exception is pure chicken breast, which is more difficult to bond and sometimes requires up to 2%. Leg meat will work at 1%. Adding water or water-based flavors (like wine) to mixtures in small quantities does not affect bond strength, but adding fat-based flavors (like cream) will weaken the bond.

After adding TG, remove any air pockets between the two bonding surfaces. Vacuum pack food items to assure a tight seal, if the food and local regulations allow. For shapes like rolls and sausages, simply roll the products in plastic wrap. The plastic wrap technique is great because there are no rules regulating its use, and it is simple, fast and cheap; foods can be cooked in water directly in the plastic wrap. Putting a weight on top of pieces to be glued is also a good technique. Try to get all gluing and forming done within 20-30 minutes and then allow the product to remain undisturbed in the refrigerator for 4 hours or more, unless you are using the heat-set method.

TG will bond within 3 hours but bond strength will be substantially higher after 4 or 5 hours at refrigeration temperatures. Highly acidic environments (below pH 4) cannot be glued effectively. To make a TG ceviche, glue the seafood together before marinating in acid. Most other marinades, however, won’t lower the pH of the proteins enough to inhibit bonding, allowing for post-marinade gluing. TG, like most enzymes, increases its activity as the temperature is raised—to a point. The same bonding reaction that takes 4 hours in the refrigerator takes place in just 5-20 minutes at 50-58°C (122- 136°F). This technique is called heat setting. Typically we will place items to be heat set in a 55°C water bath. 5 minutes after the core has reached temperature the meat is bonded.

Created By
Josh Calderon
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