Method of tendering and flavoring meat

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF AGING AND RIPENING MEAT TO IMPROVE ITS TENDERNESS, COLOR, AND FLAVOR, THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING THE BEEF, AFTER RIGOR MORTIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED, INTO AN ENCLOSED SPACED AND INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MEAT IN THE ENCLOSED SPACED TO APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 90* F., THEN MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MEAT AND OF THE ENCLOSED SPACE AT ABOVE 60* F. FOR APPROXIMATELY 36 HOURS, PERIODICALLY INTRODUCING BACTERIA SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PSEUDOMONAS, ACHROMOBACTER AND PSEUDOMONAS AND ACHROMOBACTER INTO THE ENCLOSED SPACE DURING BOTH THE HEATING AND HOLDING PERIODS, THEN REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MEAT TO APPROXIMATELY 33 TO 35* F., PERIODICALLY STERILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE ENCLOSED SPACE DURING THE COOLING PERIOD, AND MAINTAINING THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE ENCLOSED SPACE AT ABOVE APPROXMATELY 90% DURING THE RIPENING CYCLE, WHEREBY THE BEEF BECOMES PROPERLY AGED, RIPENED AND IMPROVED IN TENDERNESS AND FLAVOR WITHIN AN APPROXIMATE 48 HOUR PERIOD UNDER THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED.