Novel approach to aging beef: Vacuum-packaged foodservice steaks versus vacuum-packaged subprimals

This study evaluated quality attributes of beef aged as subprimals versus as steaks. Paired subprimals (n=5 pairs of five subprimal types) were selected and assigned to a treatment: (1) aging as vacuum-packaged steaks (portioned 7 d postmortem), or (2) aging as vacuum-packaged subprimals (portioned into steaks after each aging period: ribeye, 28 d; strip loin, 28 d; top sirloin butt, 35 d; tenderloin, 21 d; and short loin, 28 d). To simulate typical U.S. handling and distribution, all steaks were held an additional 14 d before color, shelf life, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and consumer sensory analyses were conducted. Aging subprimals tended to result in a lower WBSF for the strip loin and significantly lower WBSF for top sirloin butts. Although consumer panelists preferred the strip loin aged as steaks, they had no preference for aging method for the other muscles. Overall, findings from this study show the potential for portioning subprimals into steaks before aging.