When you think of organic filet mignon, you don’t exactly think of Kroger. So, when one TikToker bought this prime cut of meat from the store, things didn’t turn out as expected.
In this case, one user’s (@nellifer21) viral TikTok detailing the steak she bought was responded to by a second TikToker (@blackbirdcoop), who gave some insight into what exactly was going on.
The original video, which has garnered 2.7 million views, began with Nellifer standing before what @blackbirdcoop described as “unnaturally red grocery store sliced filets.”
She shared that she had bought Simple Truth organic grass-fed Kroger filets, which farmer and TikToker @blackbirdcoop said was her “first mistake.” However, @blackbirdcoop shared that cuts of meat can be labeled as grass-fed provided that the animal in question was grass-fed at least at some point. Meanwhile, the “organic” label indicates that the feed that went into the feed lot was certified organic.
Nellifer then shared that she got three tenderloins and a couple of top sirloins. However, @blackbirdcoop said that he had “a hard time believing that one of those slabs of meat is a sirloin strip.”
He joked, “Is the sirloin in the room with us?”
Nellifer then picked up and showed a slab of tenderloin to the camera. It was pink and looked as if it had a similar consistency to plasticine.
“One or more of several things is going on here,” @blackbirdcoop said, “None of which involve lab-grown meat.”
What Is Meat Glue?
The TikToker highlighted how the “strange seam” running down the middle of the meat was a “tell-tale sign” of transglutaminase. This is also known as ‘meat glue.’ He then quipped that the Trump administration would’ve banned this from developing because it has the word “trans” in it. As he pointed out, Trump had done that before with transgenic mice.
As Nellifer stretched the meat in her hands, she described it as being “literally like Play-Doh.” Responding to this, @blackbirdcoop explained that this usually happens when the muscle fibers break down. He said this can be due to improper ageing, repeated freezing and thawing, or both.
“Meat glue will often be used on cheaper cuts like these to assemble them into something that’s more acceptable as a steak, though it’s unusual and pretty ballsy to try to pass it off as creme de la creme, like filet.”
As an aside, @blackbirdcoop said filet is better than ribeye.
In terms of what “meat glue” is actually made up of, @blackbirdcoop is right to say that it is transglutaminase. Basically, as reported by ABC7, transglutaminase is a type of enzyme that is made by fermenting bacteria. This substance, in turn, can be used to cobble cuts of meat together into some type of Frankenmeat. Oftentimes, this is used to make the meat appear as a high-end cut.
Is The Meat Lab-Grown?
Nellifer continued to stretch the beef. In turn, @blackbirdcoop commented that the muscle fibers are effectively gone. He also opined that the meat, at this point, wasn’t even fit for ground beef. As well as this, he said the meat wasn’t and probably never was a filet.
Nellifer then remarked how the meat was $18.99, and said it was “giving lab-grown meat.” Meanwhile, @blackbirdcoop said that even USDA Choice center cut filet, which he considers the “bottom of the barrel” for filet mignon, averages $25-$35 per pound.
“You are suffering a case of getting what you paid for,” he said.
As a parting note, @blackbirdcoop warned: “Never ever buy premium cuts of meat at sub-premium prices. Now you know better.”
The TikTok amassed 437,400 views.
BroBible reached out to Nellifer and @blackbirdcoop via TikTok direct message and email, respectively. BroBible also reached out to Kroger via email.
What Did Commenters Say?
Commenters’ reactions were mixed. “Lab grown meat is like x100 times more expensive,” one commenter wrote. “Why would anyone sell it for cheap?”
“But ribeye has the yummy fat part…” a second said wistfully. “It’s like a reward.”
“I’m a biochemist and I thank you for helping combat this ‘lab grown meat’ thing everyone is yelling about,” a third added. “Lab grown meat looks nothing like these thick cuts of meat.”
A fellow biochemist also chimed in, saying, “As a biochemist, thanks. Lab grown meat doesn’t look like that, isn’t in grocery stores (only novelty restaurants), and currently is a phenomenally expensive novelty chicken (no beef) because it’s costly as heck to make.”
Meanwhile, a meat-cutter shared, “Meat cutter for 10 years; I can confirm that those prepacked organic cuts almost always come in frozen. Also, despite what a lot of people think ‘organic’ doesn’t mean better quality.”
Several commenters were also passionately against the TikToker’s opinion that filet is better than ribeye.
“Unfollowed,” a sixth joked. “Filet is not and will never be better than ribeye.”
@blackbirdcoop @Nellifer got 99 problems and that steak is one.
Sub-Par Steak Keeps Going Viral
Given that stuff like plant-based meat exists, meat glue doesn’t, unfortunately, sound too outlandish. Either way, this isn’t the first time a TikToker’s unusual meat has gone viral.
TikTok user Jordan Colleary (@jordancolleary) garnered attention after sharing what his $30.51 filet mignon steak from Publix looked like.
In the viral clip, he rubbed the steak between his fingers. It appeared to have a gummy or gooey consistency.
In all likelihood, this can mean one of two things. Either the meat itself is of poor quality, or it is spoiling and has enzymes breaking it down through the connective tissues.