Restructured steak

Form of beef

Restructured steak is a catch-all term to describe a class of imitation beef steaks made from smaller pieces of beef fused together by a binding agent. Its development started from the 1970s. Restructured steak is sometimes made using cheaper cuts of beef such as the hind quarter or fore quarter of beef.^[1]

Allowed food-grade agents include:

Sodium chloride (table salt) and phosphate salts.^[2] Salt can prevent microbiological growth and make myosin-type proteins more soluble. The allowed amount of phosphate in end products is 0.5% in the United States. It increases the emulsification of fat.
Animal blood plasma
Alginate: Sodium alginate forms an adhesive gel in the presence of Ca²⁺ ion.
Transglutaminase: an enzyme that helps the forming of cross-binding proteins.

Problems

Oxidation and food poisoning are the two most serious issues generally associated with restructured steak. To reduce the risk of food poisoning, restructured steaks should always be cooked until well-done.

References

^ Toldr, F. (2010). Handbook of Meat Processing. Wiley. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-8138-2096-5. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
^ Kerry, J.P.; Kerry, J.F. (2011). Processed Meats: Improving Safety, Nutrition and Quality. Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition. Elsevier Science. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-85709-294-6. Retrieved July 3, 2017.

Beef and veal

Production

Products

Cuts	Baseball steak Blade steak Brisket Chateaubriand steak Chuck steak Fajita Filet mignon Flank steak Flap steak Hanger steak Plate Picanha Ranch steak Restructured steak Rib eye Rib steak Round Rump Short loin Short ribs Shoulder tender Sirloin Top sirloin Skirt steak Standing rib roast Strip Shank T-bone Tenderloin Tri-tip Trotters Tail
Processed	Jerky Aged Bresaola Cabeza Corned beef Frankfurter Rindswurst Ground Montreal smoked Pastrami Meat extract
Offal	Brain Heart Tongue Tendon Tripas Tripe Testicles