Hip Hung Beef

Did you know that the tenderness of beef isn’t just about the breed, feed, or dry-aging?

One key factor in flavour and tenderness is simply from how the carcass is hung. There are various methods to hanging beef, with the most common and prominent two being from the Achilles tendon or from the hip.

Once a carcass is skinned and its organs removed, it is placed in a cold storage for approximately 24 hours before it is broken down into the various cuts. The cold, while it has antibacterial properties, is not ideal for a carcass as the muscles begin to tighten, adding toughness to the final cut of the meat. Butchers need to be quick during this process.

Hanging the beef counter-acts this process by stretching out the muscles.

The Achilles method involves hanging the carcass from its Achilles tendon (the rear heels) and allowing gravity to stretch the meat. 

For the hip method, the hook is placed in the hip of the carcass which means that the carcass is at a 90-degree angle. This greatly reduces the amount of gravity and limits the amount of tension, resulting in more tender beef. Using this method, the beef dry ages much more quickly and therefore results in a juicier texture when aged for the same amount of time as Achilles hung beef.

Source: Hand Sourced Au