Do you age your meat?

[NWBREW]

I usually hang my deer and elk for 4 to 6 days, NEVER aged Bear. I was told by a butcher once that bear will sour if left hanging. Something about them eating herbs and grasses as well as meats changes the enzymes in their system. They do not age well....they start to rot. I don't know for sure.....just what I've heard.....you butcher a bear as soon as possible. 

[rasbo]

I usually hang my deer and elk for 4 to 6 days, NEVER aged Bear. I was told by a butcher once that bear will sour if left hanging. Something about them eating herbs and grasses as well as meats changes the enzymes in their system. They do not age well....they start to rot. I don't know for sure.....just what I've heard.....you butcher a bear as soon as possible. 

eds bear will be hanging 5 or 6 days,every bear Ive had was hung at least 3

[ICEMAN]

We usually hang meat until the following weekend, or even longer. Keep it cold and all is well.

We share game meat we get at deer and elk camp, and we like to have a meat cutting party (all day long sometimes) and often just ice meat down well for the week. Huge ice coolers with the meat setting on blocks of ice until the day we cut. Not the best, I would rather hang it in a walkin cooler, but what are you going to do on a week long deer or elk hunt, and you are at 4500' elevation... 

[wabow]

Ive always aged, dont know if its just aging or to lazy or tired when I get home. This will be my first year hunting alone and I'll have to bone in the field to get it all back to the truck. Would you do the same, by just putting in the fridge? Probably wouldnt be to easy to hang if already boned.

Don

[bobcat]

wabow,

Are you talking deer, or elk? I've found with deer it's easier to leave the hind quarters on the bone, and the shoulders. All you need to bone out is the backstrap, rib meat, and legs. So you're leaving the rib cage and most of the back bone in the woods. Breaking down a deer like that makes it pretty easy to pack out by yourself. Elk is a different story. It can still be done the same way, but I can see if you had to pack it all by yourself, why you would want to completely bone it out. I know I would, unless it was all a downhill and relatively short pack.

If you bring out your game on the bone like this, minus the rib cage and back bone, it's much easier to hang if you choose to do so. Otherwise, yes you can just put boned out meat in your refrigerator, or hang it up in meat bags outside if the weather cooperates, until you're ready to cut it up.

[NRA4LIFE]

I'm with Bobcat.  Talk to any reputable butcher and he'll tell you the same thing.  No benefit to aging game meat.  Get the hide off asap, cool down as fast as possible and process.  But to each his own.  If you have a walk in fridge and can keep the humidity correct, it probably doesn't hurt.

[rasbo]

I'm with Bobcat.  Talk to any reputable butcher and he'll tell you the same thing.  No benefit to aging game meat.  Get the hide off asap, cool down as fast as possible and process.  But to each his own.  If you have a walk in fridge and can keep the humidity correct, it probably doesn't hurt.

Your butchers are full of bull if they tell you that....Sorry they dont want your meat in their locker that long...Used to do it at the packing company I worked for.But not our deer and elk we let them hang..all the facts are behind aging

Aging Wild Game

 

The importance of Aging Meat has often been disputed, here are the facts,

Courtesy of www.chefdepot.net

Aging Meat -

Shortly after the slaughter of an animal the muscles stiffen and the animal goes through a chemical process called Rigor Mortis. This process gradually disappears and the natural tenderizing begins. There are natural Enzymes in the flesh of all animals.

These Enzymes break down the muscle tissue over time depending on the size of the animal.
A side of beef takes 3 to 4 days at 40 degrees F. for this process to begin.

Quality beef is usually aged for 2-4 weeks before it reaches the consumer.

Aging meat does not mean simply hanging it. It is important to control the following conditions, sanitation, temperature, humidity and air circulation.

Aging meat increases tenderness and flavor. Any off taste or bad smell is not

a characteristic of properly aged and butchered meat.

The following are recommended guidelines for aging your game.

 

Deer - Quickly after killing a deer, carefully open the animal and remove all entrails inside the chest cavity (any sharp high quality knife will work if you are careful, we prefer a German boning knife). Take your time to avoid puncturing vital organs. Carefully split the hide open back to the rear, use a Bone Saw to cut open the tailbone (the bone that joins the two read legs together) and remove all entrails.
The bone saw also works well to split open the upper chest cavity.

As soon as possible flush the deer cavity with several gallons of cold water. It is important to cool the animal as fast as possible. This can be done several ways. If it is cold outside, simply use a clean piece of wood to prop open the chest cavity. If it is warm outside place several bags of ice inside the chest cavity. We also recommend keeping the chest cavity as dry as possible, use several towels to wipe it often. Remove any visible hair, sticks and leaves. Now you have a properly cleaned deer that is ready for hanging. We recommend hanging the deer from the rear legs as high as necessary to avoid touching the ground. It is the easiest position for skinning a deer properly. We remove the hide with a Skinning Knife and cut off the head and front legs with a bone saw. (Many hunters need to begin the aging of their deer outdoors with the hide on,

this is acceptable but be careful of insects, animals, dirt, sticks, leaves, temperature and handling).

It is time to begin the aging of your venison carcass. At 40 degrees F. we find that the meat tastes the best after 5-7 days of aging. This aging time will vary on the size of the deer, temperature and individual preferences. We hang our deer in a walk in cooler with a concrete floor. After several days the enzymes break down the venison muscle tissues and you end up with tender meat. After proper aging the venison is ready for butchering.

We like to break ours down to the Rounds, Tenderloins, Loins, Ribs, Stew Meat and Ground Meat for Sausage and Burger. We use a German Flexible Boning Knife, Skinning Knife, Butchering Knife, Sharpening Steel, Stainless Steel Bone Saw and Meat Grinder. With practice and the right tools, you can achieve these cuts and butcher easily and consistently.(see the Sportsmans Corner section). We put small pieces of meat in stainless steel mixing bowls and cover them, place in refrigerator until ready to grind. Our Electric Meat Grinders will save you time! Our Butchering Posters are a must have item for every butcher.

 


Cutlery Cases| Knife Blocks| Cleavers| Sharpening Steels| Electric Sharpeners| Cutlery

[rasbo]

Aging of Wild Game Meats

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Old-timers and aficionados recognize the importance of properly aging meat in order to enhance its inherent quality. Unfortunately, this step is rushed or skipped altogether by many purveyors in the name of efficiency. The aging process consists of three factors: moisture loss, tenderization, and flavor enhancement. The usual purpose for "hanging" carcasses in a cooler for a few days prior to packaging is to allow the carcass to pass through the rigor mortis phase before cutting. Cutting the meat away from the bone before this phase passes causes the muscles to shrink and become tough due to "foreshortening" of the muscle fibers. At Broken Arrow Ranch, we use special equipment to "electrostimulate" each carcass immediately after the animal is killed. This process prevents the rigor mortis phase. It also produces a considerable improvement in tenderness and taste.

Here at Broken Arrow Ranch we allow our meat to undergo a double aging, double handling process that is labor intensive and time consuming but essential to quality. Once transported from the field, whole carcasses are allowed to dry-age for three to five days, which allows flavor concentration from moisture loss and tenderization from the muscles' natural enzymes. In the first day or two of hanging, a carcass can lose up to 6% of its original weight due to evaporation. This weight loss is obviously a cost to us. We have found that it is important to let the carcasses hang for this long, however, because the slight drying of the meat enhances its flavor.

The carcass is then cut into primals (large, bone-in cuts such as whole legs and saddles), vacuum packaged and allowed to continue aging for another 2 to 4 weeks, maximizing tenderness and flavor. Natural enzymes in the meat further break down the connective tissue and produce a meat much more tender than would be the case if the meat were used immediately. The vacuum packaging allows us to obtain the benefits of extended aging without overly drying the meat.

A key distinction in our aging process is that the meat is left on the bone as it ages. When muscle is left attached to the bone the natural tension it creates helps "relax" the muscle fibers further increasing its tenderness. Only after the meat is fully aged and at the peak of its perfection is it boned out and packaged as individual cuts.

Since we harvest all of the venison and antelope we sell, Broken Arrow Ranch can provide you with meat aged to your exact specifications. We can even provide a shipment consisting of meats with various aging to allow you to use some immediately and hold the rest for later use. This is another advantage of buying from Broken Arrow Ranch where we actually harvest the meat we sell.
 

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[rasbo]

Aging Big Game
by Hunt The Outdoors on November 30th, 1999 in General Cooking

Hunters seldom agree as to the length of time a big game carcass should be aged. What is involved in the aging process? When is it beneficial to age game meat? Under what conditions is it inadvisable to age game? This article is concerned with answers to these questions.

Let’s assume that the hunter has made his kill and properly dressed the carcass. Now we want to know what he should do from the time the carcass is eviscerated until it is ready to be cut into steaks and roasts.

What is Aging?
Aging of meat–also called seasoning, ripening or conditioning–is defined as the practice of holding carcasses or cuts at temperatures of from 34ºF to 37ºF. Thus enzymes (cateptic or proteolytic) function to break down some of the complex proteins contained in the muscle.

Quick aging of beef is brought about commercially by holding beef at temperatures of 62ºF to 65ºF for 2 or 3 days. High relative humidity is maintained to prevent dehydration; ultraviolet lamps are used to prevent microbial growth.

Some Meat Should not be Aged
Aging usually results in improvement of tenderness and flavor. However, not all meat should be aged. Aging carcasses with little or no fat cover is not recommended by meat specialists. These carcasses lose moisture rapidly; excessive weight loss and surface discoloration of lean meat result. In addition, lean meat is exposed and is susceptible to deterioration through microbial growth. Slime formed by bacteria and mold growth then must be trimmed.

Because grinding or chopping tenderizes meat, aging is not justified for carcasses that are to be ground, or made into, bologna, frankfurters or other sausages.

Pork never is aged because the animals are young when slaughtered and the meat is naturally tender. Additionally, the unsaturated fats found in pork fat oxidize during aging causing rancidity and off flavor.

Veal has very little protective fat covering and is high in moisture; thus it does not lend itself to aging. Most markets require the “hog style” veal carcass (skin on) because it prevents the outer surface of the carcass from becoming dark and dry.

The above examples show that not all meat benefits from aging. Whether or not game carcasses should be aged can be determined by first understanding the changes which occur during aging.

Changes in Tenderness
Immediately after the animal’s death all meat decreases in tenderness ( Figure 1). This is because muscle fibers shorten and harden as a result of rigor mortis. The changes are similar to those which occur during muscle contraction. The third day after slaughter, meat which has been cooled at 34ºF has returned to its original tenderness level.

For example in Figure 1: Immediately after death all meat decreases in tenderness. From one to approximately 14 days, tenderness increases at a constant rate. After 14 days aging, tenderness continues to increase,but at a much slower rate.

If the carcass is to be made into chops, steaks and roasts, additional aging at 34ºF is often recommended. At 34ºF and high relative humidity, it usually takes 10 to 14 days for bacterial slime to develop on meat. This, along with the fact that tenderization proceeds more slowly after 14 days aging than it does from 3 to 14 days, is the reason aging should be limited to a maximum of 2 weeks.

Aging game that has been skinned often results in drying and high weight loss. For this reason properly chilled game should be aged with the hide on unless it is to be stored in a cooler where the humidity is high. Some people think that leaving the hide on causes off flavor, especially in antelope. However, research on factors affecting flavor of game has failed to substantiate this claim.

Many meat processors do not recommend aging game. One reason for this is that much of the game delivered to a meat processor has already been aged long enough. Quick aging of the meat often occurs because the game carcass could not be chilled at 34ºF after the kill

Aging Game Shot in Warm Weather
A 65ºF temperature at the time of the kill will result in less toughening and hardening of the muscles due to rigor mortis than will a temperature of 34ºF. In addition, the action of natural enzymes which are responsible for tenderness increases is much faster at 65ºF. Thus, aging at 65ºF for 3 days gives the same amount of tenderization as the more conventional aging temperature of 34ºF for 2 weeks. Therefore, game which is killed when the temperature is near 65ºF and held at this temperature should not be aged.

Game slaughtered in the cold months of November and December should be aged longer than game slaughtered in the warm months of September and October. Alternating temperatures, such 65ºF days and 30°F nights speeds up the aging process. Under these conditions aging game 1 week or less is recommended.

During warm hunting seasons, special care should be taken to keep the carcass cool. It should be kept in the shade and allowed as much air circulation as possible. Transport the carcass to camp and skin it if the temperature is expected to be above freezing the first night after the kill. Cheese cloth or light cotton bags should be used to protect the meat from insects and dirt. Because they hold in heat and cause meat to spoil rapidly, airtight game bags or tarps should not be used.

Aging Game Shot in Cold Weather
Game carcasses under 100 pounds often chill rapidly if the temperature is below freezing at the time of slaughter.

Muscle contraction or rigor mortis hardens the muscle to a greater extent than if the temperature is above freezing. Very rapid chilling and hardening causes meat to be tough. This condition is known as cold shortening; it will occur if the internal muscle temperature drops to 32ºF within 12 hours after the kill. Leaving the hide on will help prevent cold shortening and also help to keep the carcass from freezing.

Carcasses which undergo cold shortening should be aged at 34ºF. If the carcass is frozen while hanging, little additional tenderization will occur because enzyme action is very slow at freezing temperatures. Frozen carcasses should be thawed and maintained at 34ºF. Alternate periods of freezing and thawing should be avoided because these temperature variations lower meat quality.

Recommended Aging Times
Antelope carcasses shold be cut and wrapped for the freezer within 3 days after the kill. This short aging period helps prevent the “liver-like” or “mushy” texture often found in antelope meat.

Deer, sheep, goat, cow elk and cow moose carcasses should be cut approximately 7 days after the kill. If they have been held at higher temperatures (above 40ºF) the meat should be cut before 7 days of aging are completed.

Under ideal conditions bull elk and moose carcasses should be cut after a 14-day aging period at 34º to 37ºF. However, these carcasses are seldom handled under ideal conditions. Slow chilled carcasses and carcasses that have been in camp for a few days require less aging.

The preceeding recommended aging periods are sufficient for tenderness and flavor development in most game carcasses. These aging periods are not needed if game carcasses are to be ground, cured or made into sausage. In addition, most meat recipes utilize moist heat cooking methods which tenderize the meat and shorten the needed aging period.

Do not age any game carcass if it was shot during warm weather and not chilled rapidly, if the animal was severly stressed prior to the kill, if gunshot areas are extensive, or if the animal was under 1-year of age. Aging has already occurred if the carcass has been in camp for 1-week in relatively warm weather. No further aging is recommended.

Aging periods longer than those recommended are often accompanied by extensive bacaterial growth on the game carcasses and by drying and discoloration of the meat. Reducing the aging period reduces bacterial growth on the carcass. At present there does not appear to be any evidence that there is a helath risk in eating properly cooked game meat. Nevertheless, adequate precautions with regard to aging time and aging temperature should be followed.

Aging Carcass Parts
Individuals who cut and wrap their own game may want to process the entire carcass–except the loin and rib cuts–three days after the kill. This practice eliminates drying and spoilage on carcass parts other than the loin and rib that are often ground or moist- heat cooked.

The loin and rib cuts, which usually have some fat cover to protect against drying and are dry-heat cooked, could then be aged in a cool, clean place up to 2 weeks or until deterioration due to drying or microbial growth, indicated that aging should be discontinued. No justification exists for the idea that fat should be trimmed from game before meat is aged. The fat protects the meat during aging. However, trimming fat after aging is recommended to avoid undersirable flavors which are often associated with the fat.

Consideration for the Processor
Cooler space is a factor which often limits aging of meat in commercial operations. Proper aging of meat and proper meat handling in general could be facilitated for commercial processors if the game kill were distributed over a wide period by staggering the opening dates of the hunting season more than they are staggered at the present time.

Summary
Many practical considerations must ultimately determine whether to age or not to age game meat. Among these are the temperature at the time of kill, the chilling rate, the internal temperature of the muscle after chilling, the youthfulness of the animal, the relative humidity, the amount of weight loss the hunter is willing to sacrifice, the processing procedure and the cooler space and labor available if the game is to be processed commercially.

Under ideal conditions, age antelope 3 days, deer, sheep, goat, cow elk and cow moose 7 days and bull elk and bull moose 14 days after the kill at 34ºF. If the temperature is higher, the aging period should be shorter. Game which is killed when the temperature is 65ºF or above and held at this temperature over 1 day should be cut immediately. Game that is to be ground or chopped does not need to be aged.


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This document is Bulletin 513R, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. Publication date: October 1987.
Ray A. Field, Professor of Meat Science, Department of Animal Science, and C. Colin Kaltenback, Director, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071.
 

[Austrian Hunter]

Wow, that's a process they do at the Broken Arrow Ranch, but it makes a lot of sense. 

[rasbo]

Wow, that's a process they do at the Broken Arrow Ranch, but it makes a lot of sense. 

yes,they put their heart into it dont they...we hung all pork for 3 days where I worked,let it dry a little ..much better to work with...

[grundy53]

it all depends on the weather (or access to walk in cooler) but we like to hang our deer and elk atleast 3 -4 days longer if we can. it lets the meat set up nicely and is easier to butcher ( we butcher all of our own game).


Top photo is whitail camp in Idaho  and lower photo is my buddies shop where we hang our elk in s.w washington.

[carpsniperg2]

there were a few freezers full after that cut and rapping party

[grundy53]

yup... and we even added another bull to that mess.... i think i still have carpol tunnel from cutting

[KimberRich]

I'm with Bobcat.  Talk to any reputable butcher and he'll tell you the same thing.  No benefit to aging game meat.  Get the hide off asap, cool down as fast as possible and process.  But to each his own.  If you have a walk in fridge and can keep the humidity correct, it probably doesn't hurt.

Your butchers are full of bull if they tell you that....Sorry they dont want your meat in their locker that long...Used to do it at the packing company I worked for.But not our deer and elk we let them hang..all the facts are behind aging

Rasbo..  These are all good articles and it seems to me the common trend in all of them is to age your meat at 37-40 degrees?  In a perfect world that would be great. I'm just thinking there aren't many seasons around here that the weather is around 40 degrees for 3-4 continuous days so I'm thinking it might be tough to accomplish.  I've let deer hang for 3-4 days in Montana in mid-Nov. in similar conditions and they tasted great.