The enzymology of how the meat matures shouldn't really be too much affected by which way up the meat is. A better question would be which way up should the animal be to minimise the chance of spoilage. And in something like a pheasant, surely the biggest and most important factor there is ensuring that te choice of bird for hanging is a good one (i.e. the viiscera aren't already too macerated?)
Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 23956 Location: under some rain.
Posted: Wed Nov 24, 04 10:40 am Post subject:
When hanging birds by the neck, I find that if the 'eviscera is macerated' then I can still save the breast.
Although some advocate hanging so the innards press against the breast meat, thus enhancing the gamy flavour.
I wonder why that's the reason for hanging by the neck,then? Far better chance of not ruining the breast?
Oh, as for the reasons for hanging meat in the UK (and why it doesn't happen all over the world) it's partly a result of climate. You can intensify flavour and make meat more tender this way, and also it's a great way of storing meat for a number of days (even longer in some cases) without needing refrigeration. But that isn't possible everywhere.
All cuisines have means for preventing meat spoilage, and for hiding small tinits of meat being off. It's vitally important. Ours is to age the meat, to allow the meat to mature in such a way as any microbiology going on 'improves' the flavour (obviously, that's subjective). I think you can deduce a lot about how a cuisine has developed from the approach taken to meat storage and flavouring.
Oh, as for the reasons for hanging meat in the UK (and why it doesn't happen all over the world) it's partly a result of climate. You can intensify flavour and make meat more tender this way, and also it's a great way of storing meat for a number of days (even longer in some cases) without needing refrigeration. But that isn't possible everywhere.
But do other European countries have traditions of hanging their meat? Germany or France for instance.
sean Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 42219 Location: North Devon
Posted: Wed Nov 24, 04 12:17 pm Post subject:
The french definitely do, there's an entry in Larousse Gastronomique. My guess is that it's probably done in most of northern europe, probably with a cut-off point about half way down Italy.
sean Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 42219 Location: North Devon
Posted: Wed Nov 24, 04 12:30 pm Post subject:
Larousse reckons that hanging makes all game taste like pheasant. I suppose it's a change from everything tasting like chicken.
Tahir, yes, most other European countries will mature their meat, other than those right in the South of Europe, who tend to have to find other ways of curing their meat instead.
I can't see any reason why the enzymology would be radically affected by the way up the bird is hung. The enzymes that tenderize the meat are going to diffuse rather than be dragged down by gravity, and the only difference I think you'd get would be a slightly gamier result in the breasts if you hang it head down. But if there's too much damage to the viscera of the bird before hanging, I strongly suspect that you're risking damaging the breast meat that way.
Just a thought, but drawing the bird before hanging it may have two disadvantages. It could encourage dehydration of the flesh, if there weren't the soggy entrails, and it could also permit aerobic bacteria and moulds to enter the cavity and truly foul up the flesh quickly. The process of decomposition from within is slow because it takes place in an environment with little oxygen. Maybe the best answer is to try it...
As for heads or tails, my father loved his pheasant very gamey, so would hang by the head until the bird fell with a soggy thud onto the pantry floor. My mother wasn't best pleased, but as he did the plucking and drawing - and the scrubbing of the floor - she'd tolerate it.
Tried that once and only once. The rotten mass of viscera just rotted its way through the belly skin and ended up on floor. The stench was incredible which took weeks to get rid of.
There was nothing edible on the rotten carcass, and the temp was under 3 degrees for the whole hanging period. Necks were okay though and still hanging.
As for decomposition, this takes place from the inside first (if not flyblown) which is why animals bloat with gas and sometimes explode (as someone on this site can testify to )
So why not draw it before hanging and eliminate some of the risks?
You see I don't understand that hanging by the neck undrawn has any advantages over hanging by the neck drawn.
If you're gonna leave the guts in, you may as well hang it from the feet and get some benefit - see what I'm getting at?
I'd have thought that while you could draw before hanging, the chances of then contaminating the meat with enteric bacteria from the bird are far greater.
And, of course, if you're after some of the enzymes from the gut helping to 'mature' the flavour, then you want to leave the guts in.
What I'm visualising going wrong is a bird that's been shot say by a shotgun, with wounds going into or through the breast, allowing material from the entrails to get into the breast and ruin it. The enzyme molecules themselves will diffuse just fine anyway, but if you hang the bird with pressure for bulk fluid to flow into those wounds then the chances of spoilage would seem to be much greater.
You hang phesants so that when it is cooked it is tenderer. Something to do with fibers in the meat opening up so that it can soak up more juices when cooked. Also never leave pheasants lying on the floor ontop of each other. This causes sweating and taints the meat.
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