Why do we hang our beef?!

We ‘hang’ our beef carcasses for 5 weeks but what does that mean and why do we do it?

Hanging is the process of ageing or maturing meat by hanging the carcass. This must be conducted in a temperature controlled room with a good air flow to avoid spoilage.

Our carcasses are cut into quarters which makes them easier to handle and gives plenty of room for airflow in the fridge.

During the hanging process enzymes in the meat start to break down the muscle fibres which tenderises the meat and makes it much softer to eat.

As each carcass hangs it will loose 15-20% of it’s original weight through water loss. But this is a thoroughly good thing! As the moisture is lost the delicious flavour of the meat intensifies.

As with all things in the modern food system the supermarkets have confused customers with their meat carrying words like ’28 days matured’ which leads customers to believe the meat has been hung. That is not the case, meat packed like this is slaughtered then hung for a matter of days before being butchered. The ‘maturing’ happens in the packet. This is why when cooking meat from the supermarket it seems wetter and will leach moisture in the pan and result in a much smaller piece of meat when cooked!

Hanging is a costly and time consuming process but is the cornerstone to quality butchery and great tasting beef. As the old adage goes ‘great things come to those who wait’!

It also means that our beef production needs careful planning as we are always working 5 weeks in hand.