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Aging meat questions.

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Aging meat questions.

Postby RichM » 11 29, 2015 •  [Post 1]

Do you age the tenderloins and backstraps?
How do you do it? How shouldn't you do it?

I'm stressing a little and tend to overthink things a lot. I live in a small apartment currently so a dedicated fridge/freezer isn't an option. I took the quarters from the cow I killed to a processor who is going to age them then process it for me. I took the tenderloins and back-straps home in a cooler and now I'm a little worried about letting them age/dry or should I just portion, vacuum pack and freeze them asap.

A little more background; After the kill Pete and I dressed out the cow using the gutless method. It was overcast and about 25 degrees F when we were doing it. The meat was divided between 4 game bags and hung in the cold overnight at the cabin at a lower elevation that was probably not much warmer than 34 degrees F for the next 18 or so hours. When we put the quarters in some plastic storage bins with ice and I drove the 2 hours to the processor. The back-straps and tenderloins went into the cooler with a good amount of ice for the 4 hour drive home. I rinsed the hair off put it all back into the cooler and there it has sat overnight, Now i need to make a decision on the best way to proceed.

I'm thinking wrapping it in some clean towels in the fridge for a few more days...
or
Package and freeze immediately.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby redtop » 11 29, 2015 •  [Post 2]

you can always age your backs traps and tenderloins after you freeze them. Just go ahead and cut, wrap, and freeze them then when you want to cook them take them out of the freezer a couple of days before and let them age in the fridg.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Lefty » 11 29, 2015 •  [Post 3]

redtop wrote:you can always age your backs traps and tenderloins after you freeze them. Just go ahead and cut, wrap, and freeze them then when you want to cook them take them out of the freezer a couple of days before and let them age in the fridg.

What he said,.. some people wlll age their meat after thawed 3-10 days
While I like the changed flavor and texture We eat most or game under 3 (thawed) days
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby RichM » 11 30, 2015 •  [Post 4]

Thanks Lefty and redtop. I cut up the tenderloins and backstraps, vacuum packed them and froze them.

Rich
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Indian Summer » 12 02, 2015 •  [Post 5]

For future reference... this is the best article I have come across about aging game meat. It's very good.

http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features ... _game.html
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby DBLGBL » 12 11, 2015 •  [Post 6]

We can't do elk but at home we have a walk in cooler and let our whitetails hang skin on for 18 days. I would love to be able to hang an elk that long.

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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby HurricaneHuge » 12 18, 2015 •  [Post 7]

I started aging my venison last year and will never go back. It improves the quality of the flavor and tenderness spectacularly. We generally cut up our deer the day of kill or next day of kill. We have a spare refrigerator, so we cut and do the major trimming, make sure the meat is clean, and place it in ziplock bags. Make sure the refrigerator is between 32-40F (I place a refrigerator thermometer in it) and age at least 10 days. It lets me package meat as I have time without it going bad, and improves the meat. I highly recommend it.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby elkstalker » 12 21, 2015 •  [Post 8]

Hurricane, so you cut the meat and then age? I confess I have never really aged my game meat, I typically cut meat as quickly as possible, usually within 3 days of the kill, and most of the time it's pretty tender. I also have an extra fridge, (just bought a new one) and might try aging some meat. Next year, would it be better to age the meat on the bone or in the game bag in the fridge, or cut into roasts, or fully processed into steaks and roasts?
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Chaza402 » 01 26, 2016 •  [Post 9]

I have always taken all of my wildgame and hung it in a fridge at a temp of 32-39 degrees for 2-3 weeks depending on what I have. We use 3ft long cheese cloth bags that you can find at a butcher supply shop to hang our meat in so air can circulate all around it. We take our whitetail and hang the quarters bone-in and we take the backstraps, tenderloins and hang them in 4 separate bags. With elk its a little more work as I separate the already deboned muscle groups and hang them in as many bags as I can fit in the fridge to keep the air circulating. I retrofitted the old refrigerator shelves with hooks in order to hang the cheese clothes bags. It makes a world of difference in the flavor and texture of the meat, well worth the time and effort. All you need is a new or old fridge and some cheese cloth bags and you are ready to go. One tip, place cardboard and a few sheets of newspaper to soak the blood and keep the air a little fresher in there. Give it a try!
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby saddlesore » 01 26, 2016 •  [Post 10]

One of the problems with the gutless method is that you debone the backstrap and tenderloin before the meat has a chance to go into rigor and then relax. When deboning, the meta contracts and doesn't ever relax.

If hanging is not an option,then letting it age in the refrigerator after thawing will work.

You can generally check how tender the meat is my squeezing a piece between thumb and forefinger. The deeper and easier it is,the more tender the meat is.
A young bull or cow ( less than 3 years old usually does not need aging, but those old 10-12 year olds, sometimes even aging doesn't help a lot.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby jmez » 02 08, 2016 •  [Post 11]

Rigor doesn't have anything to do with the bone or gutless methods? It is just the physiology of the muscles cells continuing to try to function minus oxygen.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby saddlesore » 02 11, 2016 •  [Post 12]

jmez wrote:Rigor doesn't have anything to do with the bone or gutless methods? It is just the physiology of the muscles cells continuing to try to function minus oxygen.


I got to run up the BS flag on that. Muscles don't react unless the brain tells it to.A dead animal has no brain. When you debone, which is part of the gutless method, especially the back strap, the muscles contract because there is no tendon or ligament to keep it from doing so . There hasn't been any blood (oxygen) flow going thru the meat since the heart stopped beating. The muscles do not have a memory that they can figure out when the blood stopped flowing.

A very simple experiment will prove my point. For hind quarters, let one hang 24-36 hours until it comes back out of rigor, then process it. Process the other one (debone it) immediately.You will see a marked difference in meat tenderness.

This isn't only me, many elk hunters who were convinced that the gutless method as great are now finding out that those back straps could be a lot more tenderer.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby cohunter14 » 02 14, 2016 •  [Post 13]

Saddlesore, you are right that aging does help them come out of rigor, but I don't think being attached to a bone has anything to do with it. Rigor mortis will happen regardless of if meat is attached to a bone. The only way to get rid of it is to give it time.

I was actually able to find a scientific study that they did on this. The results showed that whether the bone was in or out made no difference in how tender the meat ended up: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174009002484
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Charina » 03 17, 2016 •  [Post 14]

I worked in the meat industry for almost 5 years. I tasted tidbits (grinder head waste) of a lot of various game being processed. Aging is bunk. But no one will ever be able to convince those that believe in it.

Put simply, if aging meat were of actual value, then the big meat packers would be offering aged cuts as a value-add product. But they don't offer such. Study after study after study has shown no improvement in flavor or tenderness in aging. So, those in the know in the meat industry won't pay a single dime for a value-add like aging it. Actually, aged products are worth less than fresh/fresh-frozen as the quality deteriorates. Every moment a piece of flesh spends "dead" and unfrozen decreases quality!

The problem with game and trying to determine if aging is of benefit is the different circumstances of every kill. Temps and cooling of the meat immediately will do far more for providing high quality meat than any amount of decomposition through maintaining at temps above 0F. If, like the beef industry, every bit of meat, right down to the bone, was cooled to 40F within 30 min of kill, I doubt anyone would be thinking the meat needed any improving upon (unless one likes the gamey flavor imparted through decomposition).
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby cohunter14 » 03 18, 2016 •  [Post 15]

Charina wrote:I worked in the meat industry for almost 5 years. I tasted tidbits (grinder head waste) of a lot of various game being processed. Aging is bunk. But no one will ever be able to convince those that believe in it.

Put simply, if aging meat were of actual value, then the big meat packers would be offering aged cuts as a value-add product. But they don't offer such. Study after study after study has shown no improvement in flavor or tenderness in aging. So, those in the know in the meat industry won't pay a single dime for a value-add like aging it. Actually, aged products are worth less than fresh/fresh-frozen as the quality deteriorates. Every moment a piece of flesh spends "dead" and unfrozen decreases quality!

The problem with game and trying to determine if aging is of benefit is the different circumstances of every kill. Temps and cooling of the meat immediately will do far more for providing high quality meat than any amount of decomposition through maintaining at temps above 0F. If, like the beef industry, every bit of meat, right down to the bone, was cooled to 40F within 30 min of kill, I doubt anyone would be thinking the meat needed any improving upon (unless one likes the gamey flavor imparted through decomposition).

Ever heard of USDA Prime Aged Beef? It's out there and is a very real thing. And it costs more than a standard cut. If it weren't better then a standard cut, why would the top restaurants pay for it? Here is a link to Morton's Steakhouse that talks about the steaks: http://www.mortons.com/experience/steaks/
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Charina » 03 18, 2016 •  [Post 16]

As I said, there is no way to convince the believers, despite what peer reviewed study after another has empirically proven. And the steakhouses make a killing because of this. It is a genius marketing ploy, but it is nothing but marketing. Places like Mortons, Ruth Chris, etc play off of the ignorance of those who have not investigated the matter. Pointing to one stake house, and their conjugation of terms to come up with "USDA Prime Aged Beef" does nothing to point to the reality of the situation. USDA Prime, and aging are two separate things.

It really is a basic and simple as this: If value was added by aging beef, I can guarantee you the big meat packers would be offering aged beef as a value-add to increase revenue, and provide a service to end users. But the butcher shops, major retailers, and wholesalers who purchase that beef know that aging is bunk, and wouldn't pay for it. They shun anything "aged" as that is all the closer to having to be thrown in the trash. ONLY those that provide a product to the ignorant end consumer try to use "aged" as a way to validate charging a higher price. And unfortunately, many will pay for it.

So why are the steaks at high-end restaurants marketing "aged" so tender and juicy? First of all, they start off with the highest quality cuts - esp those with high marbling. That does more to retain moisture than anything else. And they cook it properly. I don't know for sure, but I highly suspect all of the meat went through a mechanical tenderizer. As a single location boutique butcher shop 25 years ago, even we had a tenderizer. Tabletop units can be had for any home or restaurant now. That in and of itself will do more to make for tender meat than aging.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby cohunter14 » 03 18, 2016 •  [Post 17]

Charina wrote:As I said, there is no way to convince the believers, despite what peer reviewed study after another has empirically proven. And the steakhouses make a killing because of this. It is a genius marketing ploy, but it is nothing but marketing. Places like Mortons, Ruth Chris, etc play off of the ignorance of those who have not investigated the matter. Pointing to one stake house, and their conjugation of terms to come up with "USDA Prime Aged Beef" does nothing to point to the reality of the situation. USDA Prime, and aging are two separate things.


That is a ridiculous statement. Those restaurants don't advertise how long they age their beef anywhere in the restaurant. They are in business because they serve a product people are willing to pay for. They can charge $40 for a steak because that $40 steak is $25 better than the other restaurants. To say these restaurants are ignorant or are spending more money on aged beef as a ploy is insane! They are in business to make money, not spend money on something that is unnecessary.

Charina wrote:It really is a basic and simple as this: If value was added by aging beef, I can guarantee you the big meat packers would be offering aged beef as a value-add to increase revenue, and provide a service to end users. But the butcher shops, major retailers, and wholesalers who purchase that beef know that aging is bunk, and wouldn't pay for it.


Actually, you can find aged beef at many high end shops. Even look online, they are everywhere. But they do have to charge a lot more for it because by aging it, the meat shrinks. It also requires time and effort to do it, which has to be accounted for. That's why you don't see it in grocery stores.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Timber » 05 14, 2016 •  [Post 18]

Charina I also worked in the meat industry and I totally disagree with your statements. It has been proven and aging lowers PH levels thus creating better tasting meat/tenderness. The meat starts to break down immediately after death and basically it starts to decompose. As it "decomposes" it becomes more tender and actually the flavor increases(obviously there is also too much decomposing also or "spoiled"). Aged beef DOES bring much more money and some of the most expensive cuts are aged under strict controls and conditions for many weeks. We butchered cattle and they hung at about 43 degrees for about 2 weeks before they were processed.
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Re: Aging meat questions.

Postby Toothy » 05 23, 2016 •  [Post 19]

Wet aging may be what Charina is referring too, no "factory farm" will store meats long enough to properly dry age large cuts. But they do wrap and vacuum seal in large quantity. The same enzymes will still go to work on the muscles tenderizing the meat on the way to the butcher.

if you haven't.. Google the wet aging process, it's pretty much what I do with all my deer for 7 days before processing.
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