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Fun with Meat Glue!!!!!

The Cen-Tex Smoker
The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,951
edited April 2012 in EggHead Forum
Next time you are feeling frisky and want to wrap something in bacon, prosciutto, or create something otherworldly, try transglutiminase (AKA Meat glue). This is an enzyme that bonds proteins and it works great. This is the magic ingredient that brings you things like TurDuckEn, some sausages, and many lunch meats but it's awesome when doing wrapped loins, ATB's and other cool egg concoctions. I have used it a few times and it's lots of fun. Spend the $12 and give it a try next time you are feeling adventurous. 
Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX

Comments

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Will it hold bacon to chicken or abt's so no toothpicks needed? How long before it holds?
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    Curious here as well.

    Mike

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • Will it hold bacon to chicken or abt's so no toothpicks needed? How long before it holds?
    Yep. You can't pull it apart once it sets. It takes a few hours to set up in the fridge. I make a paste and brush a very thin coat on then put your bacon (or other delicious pig parts) to scallops, chicken, pork loins, or whatever. I saw a guy do a chicken skin on a salmon filet! It's pretty cool stuff.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Smoker_Guru
    Smoker_Guru Posts: 372
    I gotta try this stuff...
  • I gotta try this stuff...
    It's fun. For $12 it's definitely worth it to expand your techniques!
     
    Enjoy
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Smoker_Guru
    Smoker_Guru Posts: 372
    I want to try and make some Casing-Less sausage. Sounds like the stuff I need to do just that.
  • Will it hold bacon to chicken or abt's so no toothpicks needed? How long before it holds?
    Mickey- to be clear, it bonds protein to protein. for ABT's, as long as wrap the bacon tightly and overlap it where it can bond to itself. it will work perfectly. It won't bond bacon to jalapenos but as long as you wrap it tight, it will hold with no problem. No more toothpicks (although I would consider using them while it sets up and then remove before the cook)! The awesome thing about it with something like a loin, the 2 meats become one. You can slice an entire loin and the medallions will remain tightly wrapped in the bacon. It will stay bonded when you eat it so it makes the textures and flavors much more uniform. it's a high end restaurant trick so you'll impress all your friends and neighbors with your mad high tech cooking skills.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • I want to try and make some Casing-Less sausage. Sounds like the stuff I need to do just that.
    This is exactly what they use to make casing-less sausage and all other kinds of cool boutique-y meats. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Wish I'd seen this before April 1st...
    :-?
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Wish I'd seen this before April 1st...
    :-?
    Every day is a great day for meat tricks :)
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Z_Eggineer
    Z_Eggineer Posts: 576
    Is there a difference between the RM, GS, TI, and YG?  Thanks.
  • Smoker_Guru
    Smoker_Guru Posts: 372
    edited April 2012
    They explain them on the web site Cen Tex posted but HERE is another web site that explains them in more detail.
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566
    I want to try and make some Casing-Less sausage. Sounds like the stuff I need to do just that.

    Guru, we use sausage patties from a local butcher and they cook up great. They come about 2"x 6" and fit on a long roll. I like them because they cook faster when I am cooking for a crowd.
  • Smoker_Guru
    Smoker_Guru Posts: 372
    Hungry Joe, I've actualy made sausages like that. I make a lot of home made sausage and want to try and make large lunch type sausages with out the Non-edible casing. Just like trying different types of sausage. This "Meat Glue" just gives me another excuse to try somthing new :-)
  • Is there a difference between the RM, GS, TI, and YG?  Thanks.
    Yes. I recommend the RM. It can be sprinkled on dry or made into a slurry and brushed on. It is the most commonly used for meats and is the easiest to use. The others are more specific and theYG is actually more of a thickening agent for liquids. Go with the RM and play around with it. It's fun stuff. Don't over apply. It does not take a lot to get the job done. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    protein glue....interesting. I do bbq competitions and wonder if this would keep the skin on my trimmed chicken thighs from ending up looking like postage stamps
  • protein glue....interesting. I do bbq competitions and wonder if this would keep the skin on my trimmed chicken thighs from ending up looking like postage stamps
    yep. I've taken skin off thighs and scraped them and glued them back on. It worked awesome. The skin was all crispy and super tight to the bird without the little layer of fat that comes with chicken skin. It held it's shape beautifully and covered the entire thigh throughout the cook (no shrinkage because it's fused to the muscle). I don't mind the fat, i was just replicating an awesome dish I had at a restaurant. It was like a salty, crispy chip of skin that was actually part of the muscle and really was a great flavor and texture. You couldn't really tell where the muscle stopped and skin started.Even when you cut into it, they stay perfectly fused tightly together. It would also allow you to put seasoning or herbs under the skin and glue back down as long as you allow for plenty of muscle surface to be bonded. Let me know  how it works out for you. i think it would be awesome in competition and you could come up with some cool things to do that the judges would be impressed by. Have fun!
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • protein glue....interesting. I do bbq competitions and wonder if this would keep the skin on my trimmed chicken thighs from ending up looking like postage stamps
    Not sure what your competitions are like, but It does take 4-5 hours to set up so you would have to get your schedule down. There are some faster "cheats" that will set it up in 20-30 min at the right temp but I haven't tried them. The website Smoker Guru referenced above explains all that.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    I'm wondering if plain ol' egg whites would work similarly... ? 
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • I'm wondering if plain ol' egg whites would work similarly... ? 
    Not even close. This seriously fuses the proteins to where you cannot pull them apart easily. If it really sets up right, it's as strong as the muscle itself. You could tear the non-fused meat trying to tear the bond. It's another deal altogether


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    cen-tex, i compete in the standard KCBS competitions. We get there saturday, don't turn in chicken until sunday. So we usually marinate/brine 12+ hours than cook. Id have plenty of time to marinate, take out of the marinade, dry off than apply the "glue"
  • cen-tex, i compete in the standard KCBS competitions. We get there saturday, don't turn in chicken until sunday. So we usually marinate/brine 12+ hours than cook. Id have plenty of time to marinate, take out of the marinade, dry off than apply the "glue"
    Oh yeah. You guys could do some really cool stuff with chicken and meat glue. it actually works well when wet so you wouldn't have to totally dry off the marinade. I bet you could even use the marinade to make the slurry to make the glue! Dang- I have to know how this turns out if you go down that road. I'll be your guinea pig at home too. I have plenty of meat glue and animal parts to use it on. I'll make a marinade tomorrow and see if it works as the binder. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    my butcher/sponsor is going to look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell him I need spare chicken skin! Thanks a lot cen-tex, looking forward to the results, we use bone in thighs, usually pull the skin off and scrape, than re-wrap and hold in place with a tooth pick if necessary. But 7 out of 10 thighs the skin curls up and looks like a stamp on an envelope. If I could stretch some nice skin off the breast around a thigh I think I'd have a winning combo! Plus tasty "bite thru" skin, that's the ultimate goal in KCBS, being able to bite thru the skin without it peeling off. Rumor has it Wicked Good BBQ team uses meat glue on their chicken.

  • If you need extra skin just buy a few extra whole roasters (they are like $5-$6) and take the skin off whole and cut to shape. I did bone in thighs, and scraped when I used it and it was awesome. best bite I've ever had with chicken. I think you'll like it. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Alright, here we go- These are bacon wrapped (with meat glue)  thighs stuffed with herbed goat cheese and jalapeno. I put them in the fridge to set the meat glue at 12:30. I'll pull them at 6 to cook and we'll see how strong the bond between the bacon and bird is at that point. meat glue is a very fine white powder so i poured it into a salt shaker and shook it out on the meat. This worked really well. You can also make a slurry with water (see website for details) and brush it on. They should set up within 4 hours or so. I put them in a zip lock and placed a cutting board on top and bottom to get a good bond on the meat. See you guys in a while with an update............


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • KingRover
    KingRover Posts: 115
    Looking forward to seeing the finished pics.
  • well, took it out of the fridge and it is definitely bonded but not as well as the prosciutto or chicken skin I have done before. It does not bond to fat so if you look at this delicious fatty bacon, there is not as much protein to protein bonding surface. Headed to the Egg now. Will post pics of the finished cook....
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Here we go: The cook was good, but the meat glue did not fuse the bacon to the chicken as well as the prosciutto or chicken skin. it did hold pretty well but the last cooks the bond was much stronger. Still better than toothpicks or anything like that but I think the big ribbon of fat on the bacon kept it from bonding super tight the way the chicken skin and prosciutto did on my last cooks.  here are the pics:

    Taste was great. Used maple syrup, salt, pepper, and cayenne as a glaze to finish. Sweet, salty, spicy, sticky.....that part was all good.  

    Pic 1- On the Egg
    Pic 2- Holding by the bacon with tongs
    Pic 3- Holding by bacon with fingers
    Pic 4- come get some!

    Will try again this weekend and keep you posted

    Brisket tomorrow...............
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • fperra
    fperra Posts: 2
    Here we go: The cook was good, but the meat glue did not fuse the bacon to the chicken as well as the prosciutto or chicken skin. it did hold pretty well but the last cooks the bond was much stronger. Still better than toothpicks or anything like that but I think the big ribbon of fat on the bacon kept it from bonding super tight the way the chicken skin and prosciutto did on my last cooks.  here are the pics:

    Taste was great. Used maple syrup, salt, pepper, and cayenne as a glaze to finish. Sweet, salty, spicy, sticky.....that part was all good.  

    Pic 1- On the Egg
    Pic 2- Holding by the bacon with tongs
    Pic 3- Holding by bacon with fingers
    Pic 4- come get some!

    Will try again this weekend and keep you posted

    Brisket tomorrow...............

    After 
    Here we go: The cook was good, but the meat glue did not fuse the bacon to the chicken as well as the prosciutto or chicken skin. it did hold pretty well but the last cooks the bond was much stronger. Still better than toothpicks or anything like that but I think the big ribbon of fat on the bacon kept it from bonding super tight the way the chicken skin and prosciutto did on my last cooks.  here are the pics:

    Taste was great. Used maple syrup, salt, pepper, and cayenne as a glaze to finish. Sweet, salty, spicy, sticky.....that part was all good.  

    Pic 1- On the Egg
    Pic 2- Holding by the bacon with tongs
    Pic 3- Holding by bacon with fingers
    Pic 4- come get some!

    Will try again this weekend and keep you posted

    Brisket tomorrow...............
    After you wrap the bacon around the chicken you need to wrap it all tightly in plastic wrap so the bacon is held tightly against the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours but overnight is possible. The bacon will be part of the chicken when done. Here's some I did: