If it came from a processor and wasn' t larded with pork or beef fat they probably used some sort of binding agent . Their are too many binders to list here , but they don' t change the taste . A probable suspect would be unflavored gelatin . Butchers commonly add this to ground beef to add weight , the unscroupulous ones use red gel to stain the fat particles making the meat look leaner . You could try posing your question to your processor , they might answer it . However , if they did use a binder it may not be available to the public .