Red Meat

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 8:01 am

Hi

I've had two heifers slaughtered for the freezer last week. The meat is redder than usual. Our meat is always brown/red, but not this. It's not bright red, just no brown at all.

They were 100% grass and forage fed. Went to slaughter after 2 months outside on good grass and clover leys. Hung for 21 days as usual. Graded O+3L which is a bit lean for us but still OK.

Why the redness? Is it the way they have been hung? If it was hung too cold, I suppose it would develop as well maybe?

It was a new abattoir I have never used before. Any thoughts?

Edited By Broomcroft on 1277622160

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:29 am

Clive, we never have any brown, but our meat is only hung for 2 weeks before we freeze it.
Margaret

Tim Watson · Post by **Tim Watson** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:03 pm

I only know from hanging game that the temperature is the most critical thing and you have to judge the temp v. duration to get the end result. It would be interesting to get the temp /duration from the new abbatoir and your old one to see how they tie up. I suspect that if the duration is the same - 21 days - then the temp at the new abbatoir was lower than your normal one giving you the redder meat.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:43 am

Hi Tim, I think the temp may be the answer. It's been hung too cold which has stopped it from maturing properly. My previous abattoir would always phone up and say if they thought a carcass wouldn't take any more hanging. There's more blood than usual as well. I'll go back to the old supplier even though they are 40 miles away.

Here's a fairly typical steak of ours; this is what I mean by red-brown:

Edited By Broomcroft on 1277707457

Tim Watson · Post by **Tim Watson** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:07 am

Clive, the picture shows what I would recognise and identify as a well hung piece of meat. Some slight 'browning' in areas and the fat has a different look to it - hard to describe as it is a change in colour and consistency.
If you can find out what the temperatures are at both of the abattoirs I would be interested to note it down for future ref. I am sure there are others who may be interested so as to avoid a similar situation.

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:28 pm

I doubt temperature has much to do with it, storage wise anyway.
abattoirs will all hang at a very similar temperature as they have to legally. they have strict controls and are independently audited, so you cannot get a big varience in temperature, a few degrees at worst. i cant see how that can change the colour of the meat.
stress at killing or on the way to killing, maybe the cooling down time.
if you get a side that has been hubg in the air flow form the chillers fan, then you get a darkening on theoutside of any exposed beef.
i will ask when i am next in, the guys are usually keen to speak about their trade, they take a suprising degree of pride in their work, at our place anyway.

has everyone finished calving? we are just getting along nicely, coming in pairs! all nice and easily calved.

dom

domsmith · Post by **domsmith** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:32 pm

must be something in the water to get 17 heifers and only 2 bulls!!
we have enough grass but the cutting ground is getting nowwheere, i dont think we will cut for another 4-5weeks!! feed value will be low but hopefully more of it.

ploughing 8 acres for brassicas to try and help out on the feed front, again late but as we have had no rain any sooner would have been a waste.

dom