One of the most distinguished meals one can order from a restaurant’s menu is dry aged beef for the center of your plate. It’s image ranks right up there with Lobster as seafood, and any other premium selection one desires. Virtually any side dish can be an appropriate accompaniment, and a variety in choice of beverages is open to whatever you wish to imbibe. Everything compliments a good steak!
This morsel of information is not something newly discovered because eating aged beef has been enjoyed for generations. The popularity has waned because many everyday folks today think it is too pricey. However when you measure the personal values of taste, texture, and satisfaction received from the flavor, versus the often chewy experience from beef that is deprived of being prepared to its very best, the relative pleasure one receives in consuming such quality stays with your memory for a long time.
Some contributing thoughts to justify the comments of how and why aged beef offers more satisfaction include scientific facts that as moisture evaporates from the muscle, it creates a stronger concentration of beefy flavor. Second natural enzymes break down proteins and the fibrous connective muscle tissues, naturally tenderizing it. Most of the tenderizing will occur in the first ten to fourteen days.
It is known that some high quality restaurants age their beef for up to twenty-eight, or more days causing prices to become a little more intense due to trim loss from the drying and surface mold removal. The aging process for beef demands expanded refrigerated space to maintain adequate air circulation which is kept in a temperature range of 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, with an ambient humidity adjusted between 50% and 75%. These needs and techniques plus honoring the natural processes required by the chef performing the delicate aging processes suggests probable higher costs. The richness of the meat’s flavor further suggests more realistic portions be served guests. Dry aging may result in 15% shrinkage of the product.
Typically the most frequent dry aging of beef cuts involves the loin and rib cuts. This applies also to wet aging. Until little more than just twenty years ago, dry aged beef was the norm, then with the advent of vacuum packaging, increased efficiencies in beef processing and transportation the practice of dry aging was nearly abandoned. Only a few processors continued a steady supply of dry aged beef. In today’s modern processing plants, the carcass is broken down and vacuum sealed in plastic bags within twenty four hours. Much of this beef will show up in retail outlets within two to four days after harvest.
Beef can be “wet aged” in plastic bags for tenderness, but many chefs feel it does not enjoy the flavor profiles and characteristics of dry aging. Wet aging is accomplished by allowing the beef to steep in an enclosed plastic bag. Dry aging was big in the 1950’s and 1960’s, then the market moved to the less costly boxed beef and vacuum packaging – it is estimated that 95+% of retail outlets today sell boxed beef. Some feel dry aged beef is now enjoying a renaissance, and better restaurants actively promote its availability.
Even with the economic crunch we are now experiencing this seems to be a clear indication that the quality sought will continue to be the major concern. Acquiring better quality to improve your enjoyment and satisfaction will always be the objective of premium beef purveyors..
We welcome your comments relative to the comments of this article, and look forward to anything new you may know and are willing to share.
GOOD COOKING!
Best regards,
Harry Brockwell, Chef
