ABSTRACTTaste panel, Warner‐Bratzler shear force (WBS) and cooking loss characteristics of semimembranosus (SM) muscles from thirty electrically stimulated and hot‐boned (ESHB) or control young bull sides were evaluated. At 2 hr postmortem, muscles were excised from electrically stimulated sides and chilled in a tray or in a cardboard box. All control sides and ESHB muscles were chilled at 5–7°C until 24 hr postmortem; then 2–4°C for 24 hr. At 48 hr postmortem, steaks were cut, vacuum packaged and aged (2–4°C) for 4 days. Beef flavor was more intense for control steaks than for steaks from either ESHB chilling treatment. No other difference