Hung Carcass and Dry Meat

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:06 pm

I have just sent off my second steer this morning.

Before I receive the meat in 21 days I would be grateful for some advice regarding the dry surface of the meat exposed to air during hanging.

With the first carcass I removed this dry meat. Should I be doing this or is it perfectly OK and can it be left on roasting joints or removed and added to the mince?

Certainly it does not look nice cosmetically, but I don't want to waste meat unnecessarily.

pudser · Post by **pudser** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:54 pm

its perfect
eat up

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:51 pm

Dry is fine, its wet sticky stuff that is bad.

dom

mike skelton · Post by **mike skelton** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:45 pm

thats interesting. I sent our first steer off last october and insisted with the abbatoir that it should be hung for 21 days. When the time came to collect the carcass the owner would not let me take it as the outside was "iffy". He then trimmed it off for me and cut it into primary joints. I had back 110 kg of really fine meat. I wondered if this is normal or if the owner was being sensitive due to the fact he had just been on the programme regarding dirty abbatoirs.

mike skelton

Merrimaker Dexters

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:20 am

I hung a mutton carcase (aged tup) for 2 weeks over Christmas in my outhouse. Followed the excellent Mrs Beeton's advice (1860ish edition, not later bowdlerised versions) and wiped it down every day with a cloth rubbed in salt. It is eating beautifully & incredibly tender. Other advice is to dredge the outside with flour before roasting and basting. Obviously this is for domestic consumption, not for sale (no-one could afford it!).
Don't see why this wouldn't work with beef. Will see what Mrs B recommends.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:57 pm

If the outside is 'iffy' then I would suspect that the chiller had too much moisture and the carcase had a slight mould on it. This happened with my local abbatoir, they improved the extractors and now have no more problems.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:26 pm

I'm no expert on the detail, but our butcher will hang for 2 weeks or 6 weeks if you want him to. But he will only hang for a time that is appropriate to the fat cover. He will often phone and say that a carcass won't take more than two weeks or whatever, but often they will take longer periods.

Same with lamb. We've had lamb hung for a few days and also 3 weeks. He tells us what it will take. It was yummy at 3 weeks.

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:16 pm

hey broomcroft you avoiding me? i sent a quote to you on spring! i own a former cow of yours,moonshine maria, she doesnt like humans any history? ta jean jordeth just starting lambing.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:08 pm

Hi Nuttall - I don't know what you mean by a quote. I haven't received anything from you. And Moonshine is not my herd and I have never owned or heard of Maria so I'm puzzled by your post. Clive, just finished lambing and just about to start the next lot

.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1236197588

Pennielea · Post by **Pennielea** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:22 pm

I once asked a butcher 'How long will the carcass hang for?' he replied 'till it's ready' I persisted 'How do you know when that is?' he replied 'I know' A somewhat taciturn character but there followed a long relationship until he retired. As Clive says let the butcher decide and don't try telling him his job. In my experience hanging averages just over 3 weeks but I have known it be as short as 10 days and as long as 5 weeks. My butcher nearly always cuts the forequarters a week before the hind quarters because they mature that bit quicker.

Ian

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:56 pm

Broomcroft wrote:Hi Nuttall - I don't know what you mean by a quote. I haven't received anything from you. And Moonshine is not my herd and I have never owned or heard of Maria so I'm puzzled by your post. Clive, just finished lambing and just about to start the next lot .

Hi clive i do apologize, maria is bancroft, lack of sleep, brain going due to lambing got my o,s n r,s mixed up sorry jean! forgiven? thanks.wot a plonker i am. oh well

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:53 pm

No probs Jean. I just finished lambing and about to start another lot. Went to market yesterday, half-awake, with some store sheep and the market man said "are they wethers", and I said "No, they're Lleyns". I couldn't work out why he was grinning till I left! I do have one mad cow and I've also got loads of her relatives and they are all normal except her daughter who is also mad. Both for the pot. I think you can get the odd one but it can pass on if you breed from her judging by my one and only experience.

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:03 pm

Louisa Gidney wrote:I hung a mutton carcase (aged tup) for 2 weeks over Christmas in my outhouse. Followed the excellent Mrs Beeton's advice (1860ish edition, not later bowdlerised versions) and wiped it down every day with a cloth rubbed in salt. It is eating beautifully & incredibly tender. Other advice is to dredge the outside with flour before roasting and basting. Obviously this is for domestic consumption, not for sale (no-one could afford it!).
Don't see why this wouldn't work with beef. Will see what Mrs B recommends.

hi louise, mrs beeton was a great cook ,i have some of her books from my mum, just misplaced or i would have alook.jean jordeth.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:04 pm

Leaving it up to the butcher as to how long to hang a carcass for, is good advice. I also ask him to choose which cuts would be best from each part of the animal, according to its age.

We eat a lot of our older Dexters (I don't like to waste meat) and I let the butcher decide which cuts of meat are appropriate for what purpose. If its a really old cow, its mince, sausages and salami. I have been amazed at how tender some of our 6 - 8 year old Dexter cows have been. Getting them home-killed makes all the difference though. No transport stress. Just eating one minute and gone the next.