Dry Aged Vs. Wet Aged

There is always some discussion about how to prepare your meat – is it dry aged or wet aged? All meat has to have a cool-down period to get the temperature down, not just in Missouri. There is a minimal delay needed from the time the live beef is delivered and the wrapped, frozen packages are ready for pick-up and delivery.

Meat should be aged before it is cut and wrapped. This increases tenderness.

I found this PDF called "Beef and Port Whole Animal Buying Guide" from the Iowa State University Extension, which says:

Beef AgingAging, measured in days, refers to the time from when the animal is slaughtered to when the beef carcass is broken down into retail cuts. Beef purchased directly from farmers or ranchers and processed by a local butcher will typically be “dry aged,” meaning the carcass will hang in a walk-in cooler while aging. “Wet aging” is a process used to age wholesale beef cuts in vacuum packaging and not often used by smaller-scale meat processors.

Dry aging beef does three things:1. Improves meat tenderness2. Increases “beefy” flavor3. Causes meat to lose weight through evaporation

For most people, aging beef 7 to 10 days will result in adequate tenderness, desirable flavor and modest meat weight loss. Typically local butchers will age a beef carcass 7 to 10 days, unless asked to do otherwise. Carcasses with little or no fat cover—such as some grass-fed animals—should not be aged beyond seven days. Aging beef beyond 11 days primarily results in stronger flavor and increased product weight loss, with just a

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minimal increase in tenderness. Additionally, beef that is “hanging” takes up the butcher’s limited cooler space, so you can expect to pay a fee for additional aging. The desirability of the increased beefy flavor that develops through extended aging is purely personal preference. Aging beyond 28 days may result in off flavors. Confirm with your butcher how long your beef carcass will be aged.

As a general rule, younger animals will be more tender than older animals and fatter animals will be more tender than leaner animals.

Another note on this, when you have really lean beef that is dry-aged, you will lose some meat on the outside. This dries up as a crust and will have to be removed. Just as they note, each aging process has different outcomes and your preferences can determine which type you want.

Contact us if you want dry aging, since this is a different processor that we usually use, so will take separate arrangements. As well, the rest of your share-partners will have to agree to this, as it usually also entails additional cost.

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For more data on raising pasture fed beef, as well as other information on prime beef as health food – visit http://worstellfarms.com

Visit http://worstellfarms.com for more information.

About Worstell Farms

Our family goes back on both sides with farmers. As far as we can trace.

And that tradition came to Mexico, Missouri around 1960 to purchase the current farming operation.

Jim and Laura Worstell established a working farm there and then, and raised a big family of 8 kids, along with several dogs, cats, and an occasional pet squirrel or raccoon. And don't forget the llama's and peacocks...

In 2000, Robert Worstell returned to the farm to take over operations management (as well as the day-to-day chores) and shares these duties with his mother and sister (well, not the chores, so much.)

On approximately 250 acres of land, which is mixed hillsides, bottom, and woods, we raise a combination of annual row-crops and also our beef. Typical of this area, we have marginal land which is better suited to cattle than cultivation (which is typical of most cattle-farming).

We've found that where we run our cattle actually improves the soil and its health - as long as we pay attention and actually manage how long and when they graze where. As we continue to study and learn about and from our cattle, our daily lessons help us to improve the quality and quantity of beef we raise.We practice managed grazing and are transitioning over to ultra-high-density stocking, as this is even better for the land and actually requires more cattle per acre to keep up with the lush growth and pasture renovation.

All our beef is from local stock. Mostly black Angus cross-bred cows, with our current Belted Galloway bull named "Gene Autry" is servicing these well.

Ordering Our BeefWe only take local orders, so contact us via the website or call directly. Due to Federal laws, we cannot sell our beef out of Missouri – you'll have to buy it here. Generally, our beef is spoken for well before it's ready for processing. However, contact us for what we have coming up and we can give you an estimate on when the next one is coming available.

We are also offering La Cense beef, which is USDA inspected and can be shipped anywhere in the US. Please see http://worstellfarms.com for details.

Visit http://worstellfarms.com for more information.

Related Articles from the Worstell Farms Web Site:• Worstell Farms – Finest Missouri Grass Fed Beef • Raising Missouri Pasture-Fed Beef • What's All-Natural, Humane, Pasture-Raised? • How does a Beef Ranch Stay in Business? • Why our Missouri prime beef is striped... • Missouri Beef: Heathy is as Healthy Eats • What are "CLA's" and "Omega 3 and 6's"?!? • How Missouri Beef is Your Best Health Food • Missouri Grass Fed Meat For You to Buy • The Surprising Taste of Grass Fed Meat • Dry Aged Vs. Wet Aged • What are the beef cuts?

About the Author:Dr. Robert Worstell retired from a corporate career in graphic design to the much calmer and healthier American Midwest, to inherit running the family farm. His constant work and research has been to improve the sustainability of this Missouri “beef ranch”. The results show that grass fed beef, locally and directly marketed is the route to profitability, not following commodity trends.

Dr. Worstell's training in web design has helped him move the operation more online, as well as giving him new networking opportunities to promote Worstell Farms beef products. He is also a prolific author and has recently completed research into the all-time best self help books, with his “Freedom Is – (period).” Out of the 7 books published this year, he's also produced a fiction work, “The Dreamer Dreamed” - itself a breakthrough use of fiction to explore the metaphysical aspect of dream meaning. All of these are available at http://midwestjournalpress.com

Dr. Worstell may be contacted through his several blogs and websites for interviews and appearances.

Visit http://worstellfarms.com for more information