How to Age Beef at Home

Upscale restaurants use aged beef to provide flavorful steak dishes.

Aging of beef is the time, in days, from slaughter until the meat is cut down, sold and eventually consumed. The average time it takes for beef to get from the slaughter house to the store is about seven days. As the beef ages it becomes more tender, and many also consider it more flavorful. Aging beef at home saves you money, as pre-aged meat can be costly. To ensure accurate aging, purchase the beef directly from local meat-packaging plants, as they will be able to tell you the exact day the cow was slaughtered.

Things You'll Need

• Refrigerator or walk-in cooler
• Ceramic plate

Instructions

1. Purchase beef with a good amount of fat around it. Little to no fat can cause the beef to become overly dehydrated. Purchase beef that came from an adult cow whenever possible, as it will become more tender during the aging process.

2. Unwrap the beef and place it on a ceramic surface such as a plate. Do not place it on wood, as this will absorb the much-needed juices from the meat. Discard the juice left in the wrapper.

3. Place the beef in an empty fridge to ensure that other items do not affect the flavor and smell of the beef. Scents such as onion and fish are absorbed by the aging meat, causing an unfavorable taste.

4. Keep the temperature in the refrigerator between 33 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that the meat stays cold, but does not freeze.

5. Allow the beef to age for three days if it is light in color and you do not know the date on which the cow was slaughtered. If the beef is light in color and you know the date of slaughter, allow the beef to age for a maximum of 16 days from that date. Beef that is dark should be aged between seven and 10 days for maximum tenderness.

6. Trim the beef once aging is complete. Cut off any gray areas and mold on the exterior of the beef using a knife. When you age beef, you lose almost half of it in the graying process. Make sure to take this into account for recipes; you must buy roughly double the amount to complete your recipe.

7. Cook the beef as desired.

References

• California State University at Chico: Aging of Beef
• University of Nebraska: Animal Science Department: Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports