Ageing question

[doolally]

I'd appreciate advice on this one:
We have an 18 month old holstein cross steer and we have booked a mobile butcher to come slaughter and then butcher him. Problem is the butcher brings the mobile cold room with him on the first trip - does the kill, skin, gut etc then leaves the carcass in the cold room on our property for 2 days before returning to cut it up. He then leaves with the cold room. I have questioned why it is so short a hanging time and was told by the butcher that hanging longer won't improve the texture/flavor if it wasn't a good beast in the first place. This is the ONLY mobile butcher and he has been in the business for 30 years and we have had good reports about him from all who know him.
Our only other option is to hire a cage trailer and take the steer ourselves 50 miles to the next abbatoir/butcher. Much more expensive plus the cost of the trailer, plus the stress to the animal.AND they only age for 1 week. What do you think?
Thanks
Doolally

[agmantoo]

IMO aging for 2 days or a week is of no significant difference. I would go with the mobile unit but I do not agree with the mobile guys opinion. I age a lot of venison and I do think there is a difference in aging with the wild animals. The wild game, being virtually the same and harvested in the same area, does benefit with an extended aging.

[robin f]

we age for 10 days, reguardless of age, 6 month old red veal or 18 month old beef, lamb too, hog for a week, no way would i let it hang for just 2 days, i'm not into eating 600lb of tough meat, if he can't do the job, get someone who can, the extra cost to me would be worth it.
think about it, do you want to run the risk of having to chew through 600 lb of leather.

[okie-guy]

We always take our steers to a local packing house. Our old one that went out of business would age our beef 18-20 days. Our new packer can only age our beef 14 days before it is processed. Is he going to double pack it? I think our old butcher went out of business because he didn't have a vacumn pack machine. Your guy probably doesn't have one . Double packing is the meat is wrapped in a saran wrap and then in butcher paper. Vacumn packing is "shrinked wapped" in a plastic. The meat stays fresher longer. Check your freezer if the temp. is set too low the moisture will be drawn out of the meat and you will have freezer burn. I suspect the traveling butcher wants to get the job done and is afraid if you hang it too long it could spoil if the temp got too high.Also the longer you age it the more moisture will leave so you will end up with less than the hanging weight.
Just a thought, I always feed our yearly steer out with a friend that saves a steer out of his operation. 2 steers settle down together and will compete with one another for the food. We feed them a calf finisher with just a little bit of wheat hay. The two eat a 50 # sack a day. Also we trade off with the feeding so we both don't have to be home every day for 110 days. Maybe you could find someone with a trailer to go in partners with. I don't think I could do it by myself, but the taste and quality is sure worth it. There are only 3 in our family and I sell the other half of my steer to a family that we know. They love it. Good luck with your steer and don't put that breed down, Holsteins fatten up great. There has alway been rumors that way way back in Scotland the early breeders of black Angus added a touch a holstein genes to add to the fattening qualities of their cows

[Teacupliz]

We take our to a local butcher-- all is ready in done in about 1 and 1/2 wks.
The meat is wonderful!!!

Liz in NY
Teacup Farm