BeefRetail.org - The ABC's of Aging Beef

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The ABCs of Aging Beef

Recent research released by the beef checkoff addressed the benefits of aging beef. But there are two methods of aging beef; what are the differences between them? Is one better than the other? Does it take longer to age a particular cut? Read on to learn what researchers say about differences in taste, drying time and yield for each method and how putting aged beef in your case can affect your bottom line.

The postmortem aging process allows for the natural enzymes in beef to break down specific proteins, primarily milofibrillar, in the muscles. As this breakdown occurs, the meat is naturally tenderized and the flavor enhanced.

Beef that has not been aged can have a metallic, sour taste, while aged beef is more often described as taking on beefy or browned flavors.¹ The flavor changes can be partly attributed to aroma differences, as it takes at least 8 days after harvesting for the distinctive aroma of beef to develop.²

Warner-Bratzler Shear Force assesses the tenderness of meat by measuring the amount of force in kilograms necessary to shear multiple ½ inch core samples from each steak evaluated.

Initial tenderness of the muscles range from a high value (more force needed) of 7.34 kg for USDA Select Top Round to a low value (less force needed) of 4.28 kg for Premium Choice Tenderloin.

For a complete Beef Muscle Aging User Guide, check out the Industry Guide for Beef Aging.

Methods
There are two commercial methods for aging beef: wet and dry. Wet aging occurs in vacuum bags under refrigerated temperatures between 32°F and 34°F for up to 21 days.² To be dry aged, beef is stored, without protective packaging, at refrigerated temperatures for one to five weeks.³

Yield Loss
Wet aging is a much more common method than dry aging. Wet aging is cheaper for the consumer, as it results in less than 1% yield loss.² Dry aging requires more time, and dry-aged beef is more expensive for consumers to purchase, as the yield loss is significantly higher than wet-aged beef, ranging from 4% to 19%.²

Flavor
Wet aging produces a traditional beef flavor while dry aging encourages a distinctive, brown-roasted beefy flavor.²

Tenderness
Both aging methods increase tenderness, but the USDA Quality Grade and individual muscle must be considered when evaluating the change. In general, beef graded by the USDA as Select starts with a higher Warner-Bratzler shear force (see box) value and requires a longer aging period to reach the desired level of tenderness compared to beef graded Choice.⁴ For a complete Beef Muscle User Guide, check out the Industry Guide for Beef Aging.

1 Chemistry of Beef Flavor, Prepared for the beef checkoff by M. Susan Brewer, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, December, 2006

2 Beef Flavor Factor #4: Aging, The Beef Culinary Center, March 2008

3 Dry-Aging of Beef, Prepared for the beef checkoff by Jeff W. Savell, Ph.D., Regents Professor, and E.M. "Manny" Rosenthal, Chairholder, Texas A&M University, 2008

4 Industry Guide for Beef Aging, prepared for the beef checkoff by S. L. Gruber, K. E. Belk, J. D. Tatum, J. A. Scanga, G. C. Smith, Colorado State University, 2008