A COMPARISON OF DRY‐AGED AND VACUUM‐AGED BEEF STRIP LOINS1

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Abstract
At 3 days postmortem, eight USDA choice or better, yield grade 4, strip loins were selected. Three steaks were removed from the center of each strip loin to represent an unaged treatment. Remaining intact portions of each strip loin were “dry aged” (aged unpackaged) or “vacuum aged” (aged in vacuum bags) for an additional 11 days. Dry‐aged samples had a higher (P < 0.05) mean aging loss than vacuum‐aged or unaged samples and a shorter (P < 0.05) cooking time and lower (P < 0.05) cooking loss than the unaged samples. Vacuum‐ and dry‐aged samples were similar (P > 0.05) in tenderness and more tender than unaged counterparts. Lean from vacuum‐aged samples had a more intense sour flavor in addition to more intense bloody/ serumy flavor and metallic notes than either of the other treatments. Lean of dry‐aged samples was more beefy in flavor and had more brown/roasted flavor than vacuum‐aged or unaged counterparts.