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I would definently age the meat before freezing. I don't see any advantage to doing it after. I have never tried it any other way but what would be the advantage.
BowElkDwn

I've worked in kitchens since 15 years old and I'm 32 now. I never stayed at a job for more then 2 years before going to a better one, worked for 5 star Hotels in Detroit,Mi.Naples, Fla. Sydney, Australia. Dallas, Texas and returned to my hometown in Michigan to open my own restaurant where we have gained numerous accolades from the press and won &quot;Best new Resataurant in Michigan&quot; last year according to AAA Magazine.... That expert enough?!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

I would not reccomend aging meat after thawing. When meat freezes the water molecules expand, as we all know. This expansion breaks down the cell walls of the meat and results in weight loss as that liquid is sapped from the meat ( that puddle of blood at the bottom of the bag after you thaw your meat.)

Brief summary on aging meats.
Bacteria already pesent in the meat begins to break down the tissue (decomposition). We can now keep this relatively in check, utilizing the good bacteria while thwarting the bad, through temperature and humidity controls. The end result is a more texturally pleasing piece of meat.IE more tender. Decomposition has weakened the connective tissue and the heat breaks it down even farther.( I didn't say this was going to be pretty!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>) A side effect is natural evaporation of water content.
A 16 oz NY strip, fat removed, and aged 21 days will lose approx 1-1.5 oz of weight due to natural evaporation. This is one reason many beef companies have gone to &quot;Wet aging&quot;. They Cryovac that 16 oz cut and age it 21 day and still sell you 16 oz...only now it's 14.5 oz of meat and 1.5 oz of discarded hemoglobin or &quot;bloody water&quot;.

Knowing this we can guess what happens if you freeze a piece of meat, thaw it, and then hang it to age it.

I hope this makes sense. I'd be happy to answer any questions ya'll have on this subject. I'm far from knowing it all, but I know where to find most of it!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hope I didn't sound too arrogant, just wanted to let everyone know my credentials.

Trushot }}------>

Trueshot, I want you to process my deer and elk this year.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Let me Elk hunt with you this year and it's a deal! Always wanted to hunt Big Sky country!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Trushot }}------>

I skin and quarter the deer, ASAFP, then put the quarters in the fridge in Rubbermaid containers, and age for up to 14 days for whitetail. Other animals have different max ageing times, I'll see if I can find them and post them here. This has worked for me for years. Trebark

Become one with nature...then grill it.

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