Add tenderness and flavour to your beef

Postmortem aging, sometimes called “conditioning” or “ripening,” is a natural process which improves the palatability attributes of meat, especially cuts from the rib and loin. Commercially, postmortem aging is accomplished by subjecting carcasses, primal or sub primal cuts to controlled refrigerated (above freezing) storage conditions. Of the palatability attributes of beef steaks, tenderness is the attribute most demanded by consumers, and the improvement in tenderness is the primary reason for postmortem aging. Postmortem aging, however, also improves the attribute of flavour.
Primal or sub primal beef cuts from the loin and rib (middle meats) are specifically aged post-mortem, since these serve as the source desirable steaks (rib, T-bone, Porterhouse, top loin, sirloin and filet mignon steaks).
While carcasses or cuts from any species could be aged, postmortem aging is limited to beef, due to the relative youth of pork, lamb and veal. Consequently, this discussion concentrates on the postmortem aging of beef.

What it is about
Postmortem aging is a process that occurs naturally in all muscle tissues, whether vacuum packaged or in the form of carcasses or wholesale cuts. In the conversion of muscle to meat, natural enzymes (proteases) found in muscles, breaks down specific proteins in muscle fibres. This breaking (or fragmentation) of these protein strands, called myofibrils, by natural enzymes results in improved tenderness of the rib. Tenderisation occurs at a relatively rapid rate until three to seven days’ postmortem, and the rate of increased tenderness diminishes with time. Practically, the increase in tenderness of rib and loin cuts after seven to 10 days is relatively small, compared with the increase during the first seven to 10 days’ postmortem.
Carcasses or meat are aged by holding them at refrigeration temperatures for extended periods after slaughter and initial chill. Aging or conditioning as it is called in many countries improves the tenderness and flavour of meat. There are two methods for aging meat: wet aging and dry aging.
Dry aging is more expensive and takes long. Meat which is dry-aged is hung in a clean, temperature and humidity controlled cooler for two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender. Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded. The carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass make dry aging a costly process.
Wet aging occurs when meat and its own juices is vacuum packed in plastic and boxed for distribution. Because the plastic packaging does not allow loss of moisture, the meat may absorb more moisture which results in an increase in juiciness and tenderness. Both methods of aging work well and can create a better product. The difference is that dry aging gives a more distinctive flavor while wet aging is much less costly and allows for a quicker entry to the market and therefore a much longer shelf-life.

Dry Aging
The old method of aging meat is known as dry aging. Dry aging is done by hanging meat in a controlled, closely watched, refrigerated environment. The temperature needs to stay between 36˚F and freezing. Too warm, and the meat will spoil, too cold and it will freeze, stopping the aging process. You also need a humidity of about 85 to reduce water loss. To control bacteria, you need a constant flow of air all around the meat. It needs to be hanging in a well ventilated space. The last and most important ingredient in this process is an experienced butcher to keep a close eye on the aging meat.
There are many reasons that butchers don’t age meat these days. First of all, the cost of aged beef can be high. Because of the weight loss of aged beef, the price per kilogramme can be outrageous. If you add in the time, storage space, refrigeration, labour that price keeps moving up. For aging to properly improve the quality of a cut of meat, it should contain substantial marbling. This means that there is fat evenly distributed throughout the meat. Only the highest grades have this kind of marbling and make aging worthwhile.
Because of the high price and the space necessary to age meat, dry aging has become very rare. Only a few of the finest restaurants buy aged beef. Many in fact, have taken to aging their own beef. This can be a risky job if you don’t know what you are doing and I suggest a good sense of smell to anyone who tries it. If your aged meat does not smell right, throw it out.
Aging takes about 11 days before you see much improvement in the flavor of the meat. After that the flavor continues to intensify, but so does the loss of weight and the risk of spoilage. Eventually the meat will be worthless so many fine restaurants who do their own aging will limit it to 20 to 30 days.

Wet Aging
The less expensive alternative to dry aging is wet aging. Meat is shipped from packing plants to butchers in vacuum packaging. Butchers can set this packed meat aside in their refrigerators and allow them to age. Since the meat is packed in its own juices the enzymes will breakdown the connective tissues and make it more tender. However, because there will be no fluid loss the concentration of flavor that you get from dry aging won’t happen.
So why not save yourself some money, and age your own beef? Take that vacuum packed primal cut (from which market cuts are taken) from the butcher and put it in the refrigerator for two weeks and you will have a tender piece of meat. No. Aging needs to be done at precise temperatures and humidity under controlled circumstances.
The average family refrigerator does not have what it takes to properly age beef. It is easy to get a good colony of bacteria going in that meat during the couple of weeks it takes to age a piece of beef.
Worse still, is this recipe for a trip to the hospital that’s been floating around the Internet. Take your prime or choice steaks, unwrap them, rinse with cold water, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place on the coldest shelf of your refrigerator. Every day for two weeks take the steaks out and change the towel. At this point you are promised a fantastic steak, provided you live through the digestive process after eating it.