Transglutaminase
An enzyme, sold as 'meat glue', that links proteins to one another. Dusted between pieces of meat or fish and held tightly overnight, it bonds them into one — rolled loins of even thickness, skin fixed to fish, noodles made from prawns.
neutral · binds protein to protein
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Modernist suppliers, in small packs. Blends differ, and some contain milk protein — check which your supplier recommends for meat, fish or dairy. It loses strength once open; keep it sealed in the freezer.
- Worth knowing
- Dust it thinly through a fine sieve — roughly 1% of the weight being joined — or brush on a slurry of about one part powder to four of water. Press the pieces together, wrap them hard in cling film and refrigerate for at least six hours. Wear a mask while dusting, and cook glued meat as you would mince: what was outside is now inside.