Mechanically Separated Chicken - AKA pink slime

I was in a grocery store today, one with a bit of an Asian leaning and in the meat department they had mechanically separated chicken for sale. I was a little surprised because of the Pink Slime stuff going around the internet, but there it was. What is this? Who uses it? What can we make with it?

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David_Wilkie_1474

I would just guess it's puréed lean boneless chicken meat. If that inspires you I say just make it in a blender. I have no idea what it's used for outside of industrial scale food production though.

Chris_Young_80640

Generally the way this stuff is made from chicken it to pass the bone and trim from preparing "premium" cuts like breasts or boneless thighs, and so on, through a sieve under hydraulic force. The essentially separates the bone from all of the soft tissue, which ends up as a puree. This meat can be used in any restructured meat product where all you want is chicken meat that binds well.

Most people would be surprised to know that this meat is not the organ tissues and other odd bits. The reason? Those particular tissues have very poor binding properties when included in something like a chicken nugget, and hence manufacturers have learned to use the higher quality trim only.

Never-the-less, saving a few pennies just isn't worth it and you'' want to stick to thicken meat if making your own chicken forcemeat.