A:
Beef should be aged a few days before cutting. The amount of aging will depend on the amount of fat covering, desired flavor and temperature. Carcasses that have only a thin fat covering should be aged three to five days; those with more fat, five to seven days.
Meat hanging allows processes to continue in the meat that would normally cease in dead animals. For example, the muscles in the meat continue to use the hemoglobin that is stored in the soft tissue of the animal. This normal biological process creates lactic acid.
Our sides of beef usually arrive with us having already hung for 21 days at the abattoir. This process of hanging allows some of the actions of aging to begin. For many of the cuts on a carcass, this period of time will increase tenderness and flavour to a sufficient level.
CHILLING. To prevent or even to reduce the deterioration process, particularly microorganism development, chilling has to be carried out quickly after carcass dousing at the end of the slaughter process and the chilled state has to be maintained until the meat is processed for consumption.
Fresh meat is actually inedible. Immediately after slaughter, biochemical processes are released in the meat. The lack of oxygen leads to anaerobic glycolysis, in which glycogen and glucose are degraded.
While it is undeniable that meat gets tougher as an animal ages, Danforth says it is possible to get flavorful and tender meat from an older animal.
Basically the moisture expands during cooking and leaches out through the stretched fibres of the meat. Oddly this means that 'wet meat' actually ends up drier after cooking. Nicely hung-meat is tastier and more tender than unhung meat, it is that simple.
Dry-aged beef does not spoil because of the amount of environmental control it is put under. Moisture levels and bacteria are carefully watched, ensuring that only “good” bacteria is growing and helping the beef to dry age.
Like any other food, ground beef is susceptible to bacteria growth. As the USDA explains, "bacteria multiply rapidly in the 'Danger Zone'—temperatures between 40 and 140℉," so it's important to use the ground beef as soon as possible to prevent harmful bacteria like E. coli from growing.
A: Hanging beef in a cooler (at about 38° F) for at least 10 days is recommended to improve tenderness. This process is called aging. This allows the enzymes in the meat to break down the proteins and improve eating quality. The process would also allow the development of flavors associated with the aging process.
So, let's get into the many benefits of hanging meat and answer the question of Why do butchers hang meat. The simple answer is, that enzymes in the meat make the muscle fibres softer and more elastic. Which, ultimately, leads to a more tender cut that is easier to chew and generally more palatable than harder meat.
To Store in Refrigerator for Immediate Use: Wrap the meat in moisture-proof plastic wrap or place in a clean plastic storage bag. Store the meat in the refrigerator and use within 2 or 3 days.
Slaughter of large animals
These include: Penetrating captive bolt - used on cattle, sheep and some pigs. A gun fires a metal bolt into the brain of the animal, causing it to lose consciousness immediately. Electrical - used on sheep, calves and pigs.
The most humane methods are those which cause a rapid loss of blood so that death is brought about as quickly as possible. These include ventral neck cuts (for poultry, sheep and goats) and chest sticking (for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs).
On the contrary, as long as the resurging normal mold is white or light grey, the dried meat is still ideal for consumption. The white mold is perfectly safe to eat. Most of the time, it resides on the casing of a piece of cured meat, which you can easily remove.
Aged steak typically tastes decidedly beefy, much like a rare roast beef, while also taking on subtler hints of other delicious flavours, such as warm buttered popcorn. It can also taste somewhat nutty, and can sometimes veer into the cheesy category.
As the meat loses water, its flavor becomes concentrated to give it a more beef-forward finish. The time in the aging room also breaks down collagen—the connective tissues that holds together the beef's muscle fibers—so these steaks are more tender than fresh steaks.
Draining the grease from ground beef will make a dish healthier and is usually recommended. Brown the meat first to extract the fat. Then, you can spoon the grease out of the pan or use a colander to drain the grease.
Isn't that a good reason to cook steaks all the way through? Actually, dangerous bacteria like E. coli don't live on the inside of a steak. They might live on the surface of a steak, but cooking the outside of the steak will kill them.
Cooking your steak at rare (135 degrees Fahrenheit) is enough to kill bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. However, the high temperature it takes to cook your steak well done can cause a reaction that produces chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCA).
Cow or bull – Meat from a mature cow or bull, aged one year up, is called beef, but meat from a young cow, aged six to seven months, is called veal.
1. Taste. Many people ask, “Does bull meat taste bad?” To put it simply, bull meat quality characteristics are such that it has a more assertive and gamier flavor than the cow. This difference is partly because bulls are generally older and have more muscle than cows.
It is okay if it is early in gestation. Normally, I do not slaughter cattle if they are pregnant. It is a bit difficult. But if they have health problems, then it has to be done.