Meatlover.dk offers their take on how long meat should be aged:
One of the questions we often get is: “how long should I age my meat?” In this blog post, we will attempt to answer this a bit. However, what is considered “the optimal result” for you is ultimately always a matter of taste.
It’s About Temperature
In professional meat aging cabinets, the temperature is typically between 0°C and 1°C. In our home refrigerators, however, it is usually 3-5°C, so the environment we age in is a bit different.
Temperature actually has a significant impact on how quickly meat ages, and therefore, something called degree days is discussed. It is, in short, an expression for how many days each additional degree corresponds to when aging meat in slightly warmer environments.
The optimal temperature for aging meat is about 1°C, and therefore, calculations are made based on this as being 1 degree day (that is, 1 day corresponds to, well, 1 day).
If your refrigerator’s temperature is different, then you need to start calculating. You simply multiply the number of days you have aged the meat by the number of degrees your refrigerator is at, and thus you get the aging time it would correspond to.
Example: If you have aged for 25 days at 3°C, you would say 25×3 and your aging corresponds to the meat having been aged for 75 days (3×25).
You can also use it the other way:
Example: If you want to age your meat for 48 days (classic for aged beef) and your refrigerator is at 3°C, then the calculation is just 48/3 = 16 days you should have your meat aging.
However, you cannot “just” increase the aging time by raising the temperature.
The longer the meat actually ages, the more time the enzymes in the meat have to break down the structure and make the meat more tender and flavorful.
We recommend trying to keep the temperature between 3-4°C if you have other items in the fridge. If you have a dedicated refrigerator for the meat, then you can advantageously lower the temperature further to 1-2°C.
How Long is “Enough”?
Aging meat impacts especially two things: flavor and tenderness. Roughly speaking, one can say that “the longer it ages, the more flavor and tenderness.” However, this is a truth with modifications, because after a while, the meat will merely dry out and then it will not be worth eating anymore.
Flavor is also a “matter of taste,” and for some, the beef flavor from long-term aging can be too intense. For others, it is just perfect. The same can actually be said about the tenderness of the meat. Initially, everyone agrees that it is delightfully tender, but at some point, the meat structure becomes so broken down by enzymes that some will experience the meat as almost mealy in texture.
We recommend aging for 2-3 weeks at about 3-4°C, as it provides both a good flavor and simultaneously a delightful tenderness.
However, we think you should experiment a little and find the exact aging period that suits you and your taste buds.
Written by Meatlover.dk