sell by date on beef

[skinny]

now i know that good beef is aged for a good few weeks, and turns a nice deep colour.

what about not quite as good beef (i.e. the pink stuff, not hung and aged as long), if you keep it past the sell by date, is that the same as ageing it, or will it just go off?

i have a big hunk of beef that i have seasoned and wrapped in greaseproof paper but it's expiry date was yesterday (thursday). some of the pink bits have started to turn slightly brown. is it ok to cook it this weekend, or should i get rid?

[randlemarcus]

It won't "age" like it ought to in the fridge, but it will be fine for the weekend.

[OllieC]

if it smells ok, you can eat it.

[Shaw Tarse]

OllieC said:

if it smells ok, you can eat it.

[Pete Franklin]

To answer your question- it should be fine for a few days after use by even if the outside is going brown so long as it doesnt smell rotten or start going mouldy. and as long as the outside is properly cooked

As an aside, I recently read an article on the possibility of home dry aging in the fridge and the outcome was that it isn't really possible in the same way as in a properly conditioned hanging room as moisture/ bacteria need quite strict control. The consensus was that allowing it to air uncovered in the fridge between 12hrs 7 days did nothing for the depth of flavour but did aid browning and maillard reaction considerably. anything over that period was rank and the stuff that had been left in the fridge for 7 days had started to take on a stale "fridge odour"

[shotgunfacelift]

Red meat goes brown all the time, it's just the outside reacting with oxygen which discolours it.

You will ALWAYS know when it's off by smelling that sour stench rotten meat has

[skinny]

cheers - so the verdict is that if the smell doesn't put me off eating it, then it's fine
(but it's not the same as home ageing it!)

[shotgunfacelift]

skinny said:

cheers - so the verdict is that if the smell doesn't put me off eating it, then it's fine
(but it's not the same as home ageing it!)

Exactly

[davepoth]

The sell by date isn't an expiry date, it's the date at which the shop will stop selling it. Two very different things.