Dry aging: an old process revisited

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Introduction
Dry aging (aging in air without packag-aging.CAB short loins (NAMP 174) were ing) was used to improve the flavor and stored in vacuum packages for 7 or 14 days, tenderness of beef before the introduction of then the tenderloin was removed and the shell vacuum-packaging technology.More re-loin was dry aged for 21 days.After dry cently, beef has been shipped as subprimal aging, shell loins were processed into strip cuts in vacuum packaging, which reduces loins, vacuum packaged, and shipped to the shipping costs, extends shelf life, and de-KSU Meat Laboratory , where they were creases evaporative losses.Aging in vacuum processed into steaks at 2, 9 and 16 days can improve tenderness; however, the flavor development is different from that in dry

Experimental Procedures
TM shipped to the KSU Meats Laboratory, where they were and processed into steaks at 2, 9, and 16 days after the completion of dry after dry aging.Control steaks for all sensory sessions were from CAB strip loins (NAMP 180) stored for 14 days in vacuum packaging.Strips dry aged for 14 days had the most Steaks were cooked on an electric grill at dry-aged product (Table 1).Seven-day dry-662°F (350°C) for 4 minutes on one side, aged and control steaks were similar to each then turned and cooked for 4 more minutes.
other and lower in aged flavor than steaks Steaks then were turned every 2 minutes until from the longer aging treatments.Beef flavor 145°F (63°C, medium rare) was reached.
was most intense for 21-and 14-day products Total cooking times ranged from 11 to 15 and lower for 7-day dry-aged steaks.The minutes.
14-day dry-aged treatment had the most The center portion of the loin eye muscle metallic flavor notes were higher in control cut into ½ in.× ½ in.× 1 in.pieces and and 7-day dry-aged samples.Astringent served to a sensory panel.Each panelist got flavor notes were not affected by aging treatfour randomly selected pieces of every steak ment.tested.
The highly trained sensory descriptive attributes that are arguably more important panel (six members) from the KSU Sensory for overall acceptance of beef than flavor.Analysis Center evaluated flavor intensities, Steaks dry aged for 14 and 21 days were of overall dry-aged beef, beef, brown/roasted, slightly more tender (P<0.05)than 7-day drybloody/serumy, metallic, and astringent sen-aged steaks or controls (Table 2).The vacsation and also tenderness, and juiciness.
uum aged (14 days) controls were the least Panelists rated each on a 15-point scale with tender.Juiciness was the highest for 21-day 1 being the lowest and 15 the highest.dry-aged steaks followed by 14-day.Juici-Samples for aerobic plate counts, lactic aged steaks and the controls.The 21-day acid organism counts, and Psueduomonas dry-aged steaks showed the lowest shear counts were taken from each loin at 2, 9, and force.16 days after dry aging.Samples were taken using a core device that removed 2.9 cm of Counts (Table 3) showed that bacteria 2 surface in 2 samples.Samples were were controlled with the processing condistomached in 100 ml of diluent and sub-tions.Thus, a safe, value-added product can samples were plated according to standard be produced.procedures for each type of microbe.
Physical measurements taken for each tages in flavor, tenderness, and juiciness over steak were weight, length, width, and thick-vacuum aging product.These advantages are ness; a loin eye tracing before and after cook-offset by the yield losses; however, for highing; and Warner-Bratzler shear (6 to 8 cores quality markets, dry aging adds value and of 1-in.-diameter).
provides distinctive palatability profiles not

Results and Discussion
intense aged flavor followed by the 21-day intense brown/roasted flavor.Serumy and Juiciness and tenderness are sensory ness was lower and similar for the 7-day dry- In conclusion, dry aging provides advanobtainable with vacuum aging.

Table 1 . Means of Flavor Parameters vs. Length of Dry Aging 1
1

Table 2 . Means for Tenderness, Juiciness, and Shear Force as Affected by Length of Dry Aging 1
1

Table 3 . Mean Microbial Counts vs. Length of Dry Aging 1
Means within a column that have different superscripts are different (P<0.05).1