That debate about hanging vs. aging beef got me thinking...

I overheard these two old timers at the Sioux Falls stockyard going at it about whether hanging a carcass for 21 days beats wet aging in a bag. One guy swore the flavor depth comes from airflow and the other said it's just a waste of space and moisture. I've only been in the trade about 5 years so I don't have a strong opinion yet. What do you all think, is dry aging worth the extra effort and shrinkage?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverh4915h ago

Yeah @jamie804, you're right that the moisture loss is real with dry aging, but the flavor difference is more about the enzymes breaking down the connective tissue, not just air. Wet aging in a bag keeps all that moisture in, but it can actually give the meat a sour or metallic taste if it sits too long. A good dry aged steak has a deeper nutty flavor that you just can't get from any bag.

jamie80416h ago

I mean, "waste of space and moisture" seems like a fair point to me. I've hung beef in my own rig and honestly, the difference in flavor wasn't night and day like some people claim. For the amount of trim you lose on a dry aged primal, is it really that serious? You could probably get just as good a result without all the shrinkage.