Effects of combined wet- and dry-aging techniques on the physicochemical and sensory attributes of beef ribeye steaks from grain-fed crossbred Zebu steers

Abstract

The effects of dry- and wet-aging combinations on the sensory and physicochemical attributes of beef ribeye steaks were investigated. Paired beef ribs (n = 16) from eight grain-fed crossbred Zebu steers (n = 16) were divided into unaged, 28 d wet, 28 d dry, 14 d wet + 14 d dry, and 14 d dry + 14 d wet. Aging was conducted in a chamber at 2 °C with 73% relative humidity and without airflow. Dry-aged and combined-aged products had greater percentages of total loss compared with wet-aged products during the aging and fabrication, resulting in lower total saleable product (P < 0.01). All aging treatments presented a brighter and more vivid red color than unaged samples (P < 0.05). Regarding shear force, aged samples presented lower (P < 0.05) values when compared with unaged samples, but no significant differences were observed among aging treatments (P > 0.05). In addition, all aged samples presented higher proportion of tender steaks (>87%; P < 0.01). In this study, trained panelists were unable to identify differences among aging treatments for any of the palatability attributes evaluated (P > 0.05). The combination of both aging techniques did not offer any advantage, and the wet-aging process alone appears to be the most efficient strategy for the Brazilian food service to maximize palatability characteristics of beef.