Why Hang Beef

[soobet]

I dont get this... If you leave a joint of meat in your fridge past its sell by date it goes off and stinks. We assume we would be ill if we left it any longer then ate it. Would we be ill? Why do pople hang beef to get more flavour and why are they not ill???

[nickmo]

Extract from info on the Well Hung and Tender Beef website: '.....The longer you hang beef, the longer the enzymes have to break down the muscle fibres, so the meat becomes increasingly tender. A 15-17% weight loss also occurs over a four to five week hanging period, and because this weight loss is moisture, it has the effect of concentrating the flavour.....'.

Donald and Sue set up their grass fed beef business fairly recently and have now won several awards for the quality of the meat produced. Have a look at the rest of the reasons for hanging at: http://www.wellhungandtender.co.uk/acatalog/Why_Well_Hung_.html

The same purpose for hanging game, including poultry, hare, venison, etc and other quality meats is really as above. The 'sell by' date on the stuff in the supermarket is reflected in the simple - and plastic - look of the beef (for example) that they sell. They have such little interest in offering quality and flavour - and that is an ongoing argument - you can find beef with pork fat wrapped round it as the beef is so low in fat content it won't cook properly, but it is sold to the consumer as it is 'red'. All the red colour means (and check out the use of specific lighting that brings out the colours) is it is 'meat'.

Couple that with the questions about food miles; their storage time; has it been frozen, defrosted and sold as suitable to re-freeze; the husbandry and provenance of the animal - labelling it as British doesn't mean it came form a British herd, and so on.

There are lots of things to ask about the supply of meat so make sure if you want a quality piece of meat you are advised about the goods by a good butcher, farm shop or farmers' market producer.

[nickmo]

Apologies before the solicitors call - Donald and Sarah, (not Sue) started the business of Well Hung and Tender.

[mrrobbo15]

....buy dark beef....never buy it red...or rather cook it red, its a FACT

[rjkh]

Whoa...

mrrobbo15 what do you mean buy all your meat dark?

I would never dream of doing such a thing! As far as I am concerned, once beef has turned dark it is no longer fit for human consumption!

The only way to cook a steak (to retain all the flavour), is to sear it for 30 seconds each side and serve.

Mmmm...blue steak.

As long as you have a decent cut this is the only way to enjoy a slice of cow ass at it's finest!

[mrrobbo15]

....dark as in bloodless (not red).....

...blacker the better, it really is tenderer (if tenderer is a word lol)

.....interesting though, why do u think its not fit for human consumption ?

[soobet]

Just that it smells so vile... I mean it is rotting flesh after all.

[mrrobbo15]

....yeah, fair point....although, it truely makes beef tenderer