I think trimming silverskin before aging hurts more than it helps, and a USDA report backed me up

Reese Hayes · 2026-09-25T22:05:06.452152+00:00

I mean, everyone in my shop swears you gotta trim silverskin right after breaking down a primal, but I left it on a whole strip loin for 21 days at 36 degrees and the yield was better than any trimmed one I've done. Found a USDA study from 2019 that said leaving the fat cap and silverskin intact during dry aging cut shrink loss by almost 8 percent on average. Maybe it's just me, but I think we're losing money on the trim before it even hits the case. Has anyone else tested this side by side on their own rail?

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I think trimming silverskin before aging hurts more than it helps, and a USDA report backed me up | Butchers - Free To Speak