Aging Beef: tenderizing vs flavor enhancement

[rotuts]

in the SV thread there is considerable information on the tenderization of beef. 2Jan11 Nathan has a lot of interesting information including this:

"- Holding meat at 40C-50C (specifically we find pretty good results at 45C/113F) for up to 4 hours is within food safety guidelines, and has a significant tenderizing effect.

- Cooking meat at 55C/130F for at least 8 hours (and often 24, 48 or even up to 100 hours, depending on the cut) also has a significant tenderizing effect.

For really tough meat, you can do both. This works best if you have two water baths and switch the meat from one to the other, or if you have a programmable water bath and set a timer to change the temperature. "

Aging sirloin tips (flap meat) for a week 'as is' to my taste not only does some tenderization, but adds quite a bit of flavor, which one might enjoy or not. Im sure the 'dry-aging' for long periods does the same.

but is the process of tenderization vs flavor enhancement (better term?) different or at least partially different? What's the science on the flavor issues?

My current favorite beef (currently on sale and ripe for experiment) is the sirloin tip which I make pin-wheels and SV at 130.1 for 8 hours.

I plan to try the 4-hour 113 followed by the 8 hour 130.1, and oddly inconvenient 12 hours.

but will this taste as good at the 7 day refrigerator 'aging' first?

[Paul Bacino]

Wrapped or un- wrapped?

In the frig you are essentially desiccating and concentrating..

[rotuts]

I leave it wrapped for the short aging. I do this with a regularly grilled steak and the flavor even wrapped it quite different than cooking the steak the same way on day 1.

so something is happening or denaturing more than changes to connective tissue.

after all, it has a distinct aroma after a few days. not a rotten aroma at all. This give me the idea to pull one of those sirloin tips out of the 4 hour 'rapid age' and cook it then an the grill to see what that tastes like.

Edited August 4, 2012 by rotuts (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Its a blood change.. mostly here I believe..

Our Blood is bright red, before oxidation. Then it begins to turn brown and I'm sure tastes and smells different.

Your package aging is being seasoned by that change. I doubt if your getting any ( much ) tissue change/ denature/breakdown/ tenderizing . My thoughts.

I do it to and don't get to freaked out about contamination, But, I have never ground the beef thou.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Paul Bacino (log)

[rotuts]

thanks. that makes a certain amount of sense. i grind this sort of meat at the last minute for burgers but dont keep any around for long!

[Alex Parker]

I will package age beef for a couple of days, and then remove from the package, blot dry and dry age in the fridge for up to 12 days, checking on it daily. It tenderizes the meat incredibly, and also adds a certain "cheesiness" to the flavour of the meat which I truly love. A friend of mine has dry aged for up to 30 days, but I am not sure I have the cojones to give that a shot or not.

Alex