Artificially marbled beef

Question

I was going to buy some supposed 'ribeye' steak today (in Indonesia). However it looked weird. The marbling did not look anything like any ribeye I've ever seen.

I found it was 'Meltique' http://www.meltiquebeef.com.au/, which is some lowgrade cut of beef injected with either canola oil or beef fat. Apparently the halal version (which they had) is canola, for fears about lard or something like that.
Anyway I passed on it.
Can anyone who has bought/cooked this pass comment on the quality of the product? My instincts suggest I'd just buy regular beef without fat injected and cook it some other way. But it seems to sell large volumes in Asia. Is this available in Western countries? I'd kind of expect low-grade restaurants to use something like this to save money? But maybe it really is that disgusting?

beausmith · Answer

I have made my own experiments using Transglutaminase (TG), aka Meat Glue, which is a natural enzyme that has the ability to glue protein-containing foods together.
I have recreated steaks from trim cuts, added to burgers, re-shaped hanger steak into filet mignon "coins".
From everything I've read, there is nothing unhealthy about this process.
As to doing it on a large commercial scale… I don't know if they're doing anything beyond using TG, so might be worth seeking more info.
Also, try the meat. From the photo, it looks fresh and clean. I'm sure it'd taste great.

Artificially marbled beef

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