Aging Beef

bearbait · Jul 16, 2019

hope to float said:
Be aware that not all fridges work if it gets too cold. Be a shame to not notice and ruin the 90 day experiment

Good point htf, I found that out the hard way years ago when we first built the camp. We always left food in the freezer but came up through the winter only to find everything thawed out. Found out that a frost free will go into the defrost cycle but if it's too cold it won't kick back out, lesson learned.

I was wondering the same thing RCW and I'm thinking your probably right but like they say nothing ventured nothing gained and with no shortage of venison I'd be willing to risk a few steaks.

Creature Meadow · Jul 16, 2019

RCW said:
Guys-
I don’t know if I’m correct at all, but someone mentioned the lack of fat on some game.
I’d be a little cautious about trying to age lean game Creature’s way. Just concerned with it being so lean, might make a piece of shoe leather.
Again, I might be way off....be interested how guys and gals have done it....

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Not sure either BUT I'll risk a back strap and 21 days to see! I'll be the test subject kind of and report.

Get a lot of deer given to me 32 one year was the most but on average 10 plus the ones I shoot. I do love my deer meat had it for dinner tonight in sloppy joes but again I'll put a strap in the fridge and try one.

Heading to Illinois this year for 2 weeks so may have 3 big midwest brutes to process.

skeets · Jul 16, 2019

Those deer have to be the size of wabbits

War Eagle · Jul 17, 2019

RCW said:
Guys-
I don’t know if I’m correct at all, but someone mentioned the lack of fat on some game.
I’d be a little cautious about trying to age lean game Creature’s way. Just concerned with it being so lean, might make a piece of shoe leather.
Again, I might be way off....be interested how guys and gals have done it....

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A few years back we purchased and old walk in cooler that we set up for hanging and aging our wild game harvest. We have aged venison, elk, black bear and moose for a minumum of 14 days and in one year we had venison and elk meat hanging for 21 days.

Nothing scientific about our setup and process. We just hang the game quarters in the cooler. Keep the temp at 38 degrees F and there is always a few spots of surface mold that we clean with a rub down and wash with vinegar and then butcher the meat into the cuts we want and vacuum pack and freeze.

The aging process seems to make the meat more tender and flavorful than the standard field dress and hang a few days then butcher.

The meat of course is very lean and we get the surface layer of meat is very hard and dry, but just below that surface layer of meat fiber the meat is soft and tender and so much more flavorful. We age the whole quarter as I mentioned so all the meat benefits from the process even the meat that goes to burger and sausage.

We have been doing this for 10 years now and we have converted many of our family and friends to aging their harvest for at least 14 days as well.

RCW · Jul 17, 2019

War Eagle said:
We age the whole quarter .

War Eagle -

I think you have the key right there.

I didn't articulate it well, but I was thinking that trying to age smaller, leaner game cuts (e.g., backstrap, rounds, etc.) might be a problem....just dry out, and dry out too much..... End up with cold-aged venison jerky the size of a bottom round....

Your method helps avoid that issue.

Again, I have no aging experience, so I'm just guessing.

SidecarFlip · Jul 17, 2019

I do know one thing and that is the price of meat in general at the supermarket is making the expected climb already. I fully expect commercial meat prices to maybe double by winter. I'll be putting a bambi in the deep freeze this fall, guaranteed and most likely slaughtering one of my cattle too.

Creature Meadow · Jul 17, 2019

SidecarFlip said:
I do know one thing and that is the price of meat in general at the supermarket is making the expected climb already. I fully expect commercial meat prices to maybe double by winter. I'll be putting a bambi in the deep freeze this fall, guaranteed and most likely slaughtering one of my cattle too.

Not the case here in NC of rising cost. The same ribeye I bought for aging couple months ago was $1.00 less a pound yesterday at the same store here in town.

I echo though the thought, I'll do as usual and fill my locker with venison. We jsut enjoy it, having venison spaghetti tomorrow night and some back straps this weekend.

Been saving some venison hearts, may bring them out as the time is only a few months away and I can get some fresh ones.

ipz2222 · Jul 18, 2019

I think there might be an easier way.. If you want aged beef, just buy an old cow.

bearbait · Jul 19, 2019

War Eagle thanks for sharing, always good to learn from those who have been there and done that.

Creature Meadow · Nov 18, 2019

Back from my bow hunt in Illinois, now time to age some deer meat, be the first time.

Friend gave me the hams and back strap from a buck his son shot.

The plan is to remove silver skin from the straps and age for 21 days.

I'll bone out the roasts on the hams and age them at the same time.

After 21 days I'll remove from fridge, trim and cut into steaks.

I will see in 3 weeks if the lean meat from a deer will work for this. Around December 10th we shall see.

Jay

RCW · Nov 18, 2019

Jay - be curious what you find with the venison.

Do you think you should peel them (remove silver)?

Second thought, maybe peel these, and decide if it’s the way to go.

Too much fat might concentrate the “gamey” flavors, I guess, but it’s all trimmed prior to cooking. Not sure about the peel.....I get back to War Eagle hanging quarters, etc.

But like you say, small-scale experiment. Appreciate you sharing. [emoji41]

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Creature Meadow · Nov 18, 2019

RCW said:
Jay - be curious what you find with the venison.

Do you think you should peel them (remove silver)?

Second thought, maybe peel these, and decide if it’s the way to go.

Too much fat might concentrate the “gamey” flavors, I guess, but it’s all trimmed prior to cooking. Not sure about the peel.....I get back to War Eagle hanging quarters, etc.

But like you say, small-scale experiment. Appreciate you sharing. [emoji41]

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I plan to remove the silver skin not as much concerned about the sinu as I suspect in 4 to 5 days it will turn hard and I can easily trim once the 21 days is up

No fat on these hams, we rarely have fat on our deer. Older deer will have some on the back and a handful on each ham but very little compared to deer up your way.

As the process unfolds I'll post any thing interesting I find that may be useful.

My goal is for this to be my go to way to process our older deer as I find them less desirable to eat as they are tough so I grind them and steak out the younger ones.

Side note like to have froze last week up yonder it was 3 with real feel -12 one morning with a 20 mph wind.....Ya'll can keep it I like our winters much better

Creature Meadow · Nov 21, 2019

The venison has been added to the fridge for the 21 day dry aging.

The beef was great so let's see how some back straps and hind quarter turns out.

Using same process as I did with the ribeyes.

Temp set at 35 nominal, salt in tray below, and meat placed on the oven rack.

Did not trim much except the silver skin as I will have to trim after the dry aging occurs.

Mid December we shall see.

I'll post some more picks after maybe a week to show the change.

Good day.
Jay

RCW · Nov 21, 2019

Gosh Jay, on day zero they look pretty darn good!

Be interested how it works.

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Creature Meadow · Nov 21, 2019

I checked them tonight and the temp, steady at 34f and the outside after 2 days is hard and starting to dry out.

Seems to be a good start, very similar to the beef i did few months back.

RCW · Nov 23, 2019

This has no bearing on Jay's thread - just wanted to throw it in....

I travelled to a supermarket in the big city this morning to get some "fancy" beers and hard ciders for our kids coming on for Thanksgiving.

Wegmans - real fancy market compared to what we have local.

They had a case just for dry-aging prime ribs.

Was amazing what they looked like. While they had tags on them, they were not readable from the outside.

It was obvious they were lined up in the case by drying time - most recent to longest time in.

The most dried stuff was 50% or more smaller than the freshest ribs....amazing how much water is removed by the dry-aging process...

I wasn't smart enough to take a picture. or maybe I would look like a tourist, or a redneck that lives 40 miles into the sticks.....

Creature Meadow · Nov 26, 2019

Time for the 7-day update.....

Observations quiet surprising!

When I dry aged the ribeye I found about 12% moisture in the meat, I suspect this is where the meat is injected with water and various other ingredients to retain flavor, color and to charge us more for the meat. We pay for this as if it were meat!

The venison was not injected simply processed and was placed in the fridge using the same environmental conditions.

After 7 days the meat is real firm and in fact the back strap when held at one end straight out does not bend.

What does this mean, I don't know but I do know it is behaving much different than the ribeye. It is much thinner of course and much less volume.

I intend to take out one roast and back strap tonight and cook to see how it is.

Depending on findings, I will remove it all or go for 14 days.

I'll let you know.

Jay

Lil Foot · Nov 26, 2019

I don't know anything about aging meat, but I must confess every time I see this thread's title, I think momentarily you must be referring to me.

greeno · Jan 2, 2020

Wondering how the aged venison turned out?

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bearbait · Jan 2, 2020

Lil Foot said:
I don't know anything about aging meat, but I must confess every time I see this thread's title, I think momentarily you must be referring to me.

Lol, don't know how I missed this but too funny.

Aging Beef

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