Dry versus wet aging of beef: Retail cutting yields and consumer sensory attribute evaluations of steaks from ribeyes, strip loins, and top sirloins from two quality grade groups

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 795 - 804
• Main Authors: Laster, M.A., Smith, R.D., Nicholson, K.L., Nicholson, J.D.W., Miller, R.K., Griffin, D.B., Harris, K.B., Savell, J.W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2008; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Beef; beef carcasses; Biological and medical sciences; carcass yield; Consumer panels; consumer preferences; consumer surveys; consumers; Cutting tests; dressing percentage; dry-aged cutting; Dry-aging; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; loins (meat cut); longissimus dorsi; meat aging; Meat and meat product industries; meat cuts; palatability; sensory evaluation; shear strength; shear stress; steaks; texture; Beef; Consumer panels; Cutting tests; Dry-aging; Quality; Meat product; Sensory analysis; Yield
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.03.024

Top Choice ( n = 48) and Select ( n = 48) paired bone-in ribeye rolls, bone-in strip loins, and boneless top sirloin butts were assigned randomly to one of two aging treatments, dry or wet, and were aged for 14, 21, 28 or 35 d. Cutting tests, performed to determine retail yields and processing times, showed dry-aged subprimals had lower total saleable yield percentages and increased processing times compared to wet-aged subprimals. Sensory and Warner–Bratzler shear evaluation was conducted to determine palatability characteristics. For the most part, aging treatment and aging period did not affect consumer sensory attributes. However, ribeye and top loin steaks from the Top Choice quality grade group received higher sensory ratings than their Select counterparts. For top sirloin steaks, no consumer sensory attributes were affected by aging treatment, aging period, or quality grade group.