Processing Systems for Hot‐ and Cold‐Boned Primals from Mature Cow Carcasses

The longissimus (LD) and semimembranosus muscles (SM) were removed from one side of 24 mature, low quality cow carcasses within 3 hr of slaughter, while these muscles were removed from the opposite side 24 hr later following chilling at 3°C. Muscles from both sides were allocated to four processing systems, which included various combinations of immediate freezing, aging, blade tenderization, vacuum packaging, film wrapping and enzyme application. Hot boning resulted in decreased tenderness for the LD and the SM when braised. Aging of film‐wrapped cuts for 7 days and vacuum‐packaged cuts for 14 days prior to freezing produced the greatest improvements in tenderness. Strip loins from hot‐boned, low quality mature cows can produce palatable steaks if aging, blade tenderization and enzymes are also used.