Saw that the butchering thread started in on some aging topics, so thought it would be great to talk about aging meat. What is your preferred method? I enjoy it aged about 5-7 days (depending on weather of course).
I have tried it all ,not always by choice,some times just cant get to it right away.but I have found that the sooner it can be cut and in the freezer the better it tast.and If I cant get to right away I always store it in old refrigorators at as cold as I can without freezing
I like to age it about 7 days, but that can very depending on when and where I get it. when I go out west, I have a 12 cu ft chest freezer in the front of my Cargo trailer, I like to let the meat cool naturally if possible ?, then I put it in the freezer and run it just enough to keep it good and cold till I get home to MI and can cut it up.
A dry hanging meat cooler is the best and let it hang for several days. A refrigertor can be used but to avoid putting the whole animal in it just put the meat to be cut into chops and steaks. Burger is ground so it is not necessary to age your burger meat. If you slow cook or pressure cook roasts then they will cook tender also.
If no cooler or fridge and it is cold outside then use that.. Another choice is to put bags of ice in a large cooler and prop it up to drain, putting the meat on top of the ice for a few days.
I aged a deer for seven days once, 3 outside and 4 in a walk in cooler. It was perfect...there are some great books on processing....look at The Ultimate Guide To BUTCHERING DEER by John Weiss....it is easy to understand and tells how to handle ALL venison.
