DEVELOPMENT OF DRY-AGE TECHNOLOGY
Dry-aged beef is a niche, high-quality product that is not available to everyone. It’s a special kind of meat that takes a lot of time, patience and technology. Breeding, genetics, husbandry, feeding, slaughtering and slicing during processing are all key components to perfect meat.
Dry Aging makes good meat better and turns very good meat into something unforgettable. But remember: the inferior quality of the meat remains the same even in Dry Ager. So it’s worth the effort to be careful when buying meat and keep a few basics in mind.
How to mature meat before Dry-Ager refrigerators?
Until the invention of vacuum sealers in the late 1960s, meat was matured under dry-aging conditions: pieces of beef were hung on hooks in cooling units, sometimes in dangerous and unsanitary conditions, and a few weeks later the meat was sold as “well aged”.Even now, this in some areas this is considered a genuine maturing of the meat. Nowadays, however, over 95% of all steaks are matured using a cheaper method, namely wet maturing in bags or under vacuum. This process gives the meat a slightly bitter, metallic taste – an unfortunate side effect of anaerobic (oxygen-free) ripening with lactic acid.
What happens during dry maturation?
t is surprising how often throughout human history decomposition processes have been used to preserve or improve food. We take for granted this whole world of fermentation, from sour cabbage to beer, soy sauce, cheese, tea, yeast-based doughs, tobacco, pickled herring, cocoa, yogurt and salami. Our diet is heavily influenced by foods whose breakdown is controlled and monitored to ensure food safety.
The three protagonists in this game are bacteria, fungi and enzymes.
How does the ripening process take place and how long does it last?
Maturation is necessary because rigor mortis sets in just hours after slaughter, which hardens the meat and makes it unpalatable. It takes time for the stiff muscles to relax enough for the meat to become tender.
Why is dry maturing preferred by professionals?
Wet maturing meat in plastic bags has become standard practice, but demand for dry-aged meat is growing, driven by restaurants demanding quality products. The dry curing process produces a gourmet meat that is at least as tender as regular wet-cured meat, but with a savory, juicy flavor that offers the full range of flavors that beef, pork, lamb, poultry is capable of developing.
