Last Updated on July 9, 2024
Dry Aged Beef: Why It’s the Best
If you’re a carnivore who has never tried dry-aged steak, what have you been waiting for? Dry-aged beef is held in esteem throughout the foodie world for a variety of reasons, ranging from its tender texture to its mouthwatering flavor that’s richer, deeper and beefier than other types of beef – making it perfect for your favorite dry-aged recipes. All this is due to the special time-honored curing process that aged beef undergoes, making it the Rolls Royce of the beef industry.
What is Dry-Aged Beef?
To fully understand why dry-aged beef is considered the best type of beef among many, it’s important to understand what it is. The process begins with the selection of specific cuts of beef; typically, ribeye or sirloin are chosen for the dry aging process due to the fact that they usually have a good amount of beautiful marbling, which enhances the buttery tenderness and exceptional flavoring.
Those high-quality beef cuts are then hung or placed on racks in a refrigerated room that’s both temperature- and humidity-controlled. This environment prevents spoiling of the meat while allowing the aging process to occur safely. As the beef ages, its natural enzymes break down connective tissues in the meat, which causes the beef to become super tender. At the same time, moisture from the meat evaporates, leading to a highly concentrated flavor profile. The entire aging process can take several months, depending on the tenderness and flavor intensity desired.
Once the aging period ends, a master butcher trims the outside of the beef, cutting away the exterior to reveal the deep red meat at the center — meat that’s never been exposed to open air during the aging process. That portion of the cut is then sliced into steaks or other portions. These dry-aged steaks are then packaged for delivery to the consumer, ready for preparing however you like, from the grill to the frying pan.
Why Will You Love Dry-Aged Beef?
There are two reasons dry-aged beef is beloved among meat connoisseurs the world over: its deliciously intense, beefy flavor and its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. As moisture is lost from the cut of beef during the aging process, the flavor becomes more concentrated – beefier. And as muscle fibers in the meat contract as it ages, the cut becomes denser and the texture more tender.
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