Aged beef has become synonymous with high-end steakhouses and gourmet butcher shops but what exactly is aged beef and why does it taste so good? Keep reading to learn all about the aging process and why it transforms beef into a more delicious, tender product.
What is Beef Aging?
Beef aging refers to storing beef at refrigerated temperatures for an extended period of time after slaughter and before consumption. This aging process allows naturally occurring enzymes in the beef to break down the muscle fibers, resulting in increased tenderness and development of more complex, robust flavors.
There are two main methods of aging beef:
Wet Aging
This is the most common aging method used today The beef is vacuum sealed in plastic bags to retain moisture and then stored at refrigerated temperatures around 32-45°F for 4-10 days on average Wet aging primarily affects tenderness as the enzymes gently break down the connective tissues, Flavor is minimally impacted,
Dry Aging
This more extensive process exposes beef to controlled temperature, humidity and airflow conditions for up to 120 days. The meat develops a hard outer crust which forms from moisture evaporating from the surface. Trim loss is around 30% The flavor profile evolves considerably, taking on rich, funky almost nutty notes Both tenderness and taste are transformed by dry aging. This specialty process comes at a premium price.
Why Age Beef at All?
If beef tastes best right after slaughter, why age it you ask? Good question!
Truth is beef doesn’t taste very good without proper aging. Freshly cut beef has a metallic, bloody flavor and very tough chewy texture. By allowing time for the natural enzymes and microbial activity to run their course, aged meat develops superior eating qualities.
Aging is necessary for the realization of beef’s true potential when it hits your plate. Aged beef simply tastes better!
The Science and Art of Aged Beef
There is some science involved in the mysteries of aged beef. Let’s break it down:
-
Evaporation of water content concentrates flavor compounds.
-
Enzymatic activity breaks down tough collagen while generating new tasty compounds.
-
Microbial growth on the surface helps tenderize meat and adds funky flavors.
But there is also an art to properly aging beef as ambient conditions like temperature, humidity and circulating air all impact results. And genetics influence an animal’s suitability for prolonged aging. Experience and skill play a key role.
It’s a carefully controlled decay process allowing beef to evolve to its optimal state of texture and taste. And like a fine wine, each batch takes on its own character.
How Does Aging Impact Flavor?
Age is more than skin deep when it comes to beef. The complex molecular changes affect both the interior and exterior:
-
Enzymes break down large flavorless proteins into smaller flavorful fragments generating savoriness.
-
Microbial activity on the crusts adds notes of blue cheese funkiness.
-
Evaporation concentrates the remaining moisture leading to a richer beefiness.
Collectively, these factors contribute to the unique, complex flavors of properly aged meat.
How Does Aging Impact Tenderness?
Aged beef isn’t just tastier, it’s also more tender. Enzymes naturally present in the meat are the heroes here.
The enzymes effectively “pre-chew” the meat by breaking down tough collagen connective tissues. Muscle fibers relax and loosen up, literally getting more tender with time.
Less mechanical mastication required by your jaws to break it down!
Ideal Aging Times
While aging clearly benefits beef, there are diminishing returns and loss of quality if taken too far. Where’s the sweet spot?
-
Wet aged – 4 to 10 days for improved tenderness
-
Dry aged – 30 to 45 days for optimal flavor and tenderness
Of course personal preference varies with some preferring beef aged even longer for intensified taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The Takeaway
Hopefully you now have a good understanding of what aged beef is all about. While wet aging delivers tender beef, dry aging transforms both the tenderness and flavor dramatically.
There’s good reason aged beef commands a premium price. The lengthy specialized handling delivers an unmatched eating experience. Once you taste a properly dry aged grilled ribeye, you’ll never view beef the same way again!
So next time you visit a high-end steakhouse or gourmet butcher shop boasting dry aged beef, you can decide if the elevated cost is justified. For hardcore carnivores seeking the absolute best, aged beef is a must try. Just prepare your tastebuds and budget for an extraordinary culinary adventure!
How does dry aging work?
The truth is, all meat benefits from some amount of aging. Most of the beef we consume has been wet aged — a process where the meat has been sealed in a bag to retain its moisture. The chemical transformation that happens to beef occurs regardless of whether the meat is left outside of a bag to dry age or inside a vacuum-sealed bag to wet age. The difference comes in the flavour.
When you dry age beef, two things happen:
1. Moisture is pulled out of the meat. The fat portion retains more water than the lean portion, causing the lean muscle to shrink around the fat; the fat becomes more pronounced, thus giving the beef more flavour.
2. Bacteria formed in the aging process produces a robust flavour profile that is highly desirable. “It’s like cheese,” says Aaron. “It’s very rich and intense.” In fact, if you look at a rib of dry aged beef, you can see veins similar to those found in blue cheese working their way through. Both the mold, and the flavour profiles, are indeed similar.
What’s the deal with dry aging?
When you walk into Peter Augustus’s butchery in New Farm, a craft butcher in Brisbane, Australia, you’ll see an impressive dry aging cabinet that looks like it belongs in a science lab. “This is the original dry aging process, how steaks were stored,” says head butcher Aaron.
In fact, dry aging is a process that goes back thousands of years. Before the invention of refrigeration, dry aging (whether it was in a chamber, a cellar or a cave) was one of the only methods of keeping meat fresh, other than smoking, brining or pickling. It is a time honoured technique that both enhances the flavour and tenderness of meat.
In essence, dry aging is when you take a piece of meat and put it into a controlled open-air environment to go through a flavour transformation. By exposing the meat to air, moisture is pulled out and the natural enzymes in the beef break the muscles down slowly over time, making it more tender. When the surface of the beef dries, it creates a crust over the muscle, but what’s inside stays moist and red.
The meat is also subjected to other environmental impacts during the aging process — various molds and yeasts that land on it — all of which play a role in the final flavour profile of the beef. The longer you age it, the stronger it gets. (Think of it like science for meat lovers.)
“We normally dry age our meat for 40 to 50 days. Two months is the maximum we’ll go”, says Aaron. “After that the flavour can become much too intense.”
What is dry aged beef? Since when is drier meat good?
FAQ
What is special about aged beef?
Aging beef helps meat develop a deeper, more intense flavor. It also tenderizes the meat by breaking down the muscle fibers.
How do they age beef without it spoiling?
The main thing is that dry aged meat is kept cold, reducing the ability of bacteria to grow on it. They also keep the air constantly moving, so that it doesn’t become too humid near the meat. The surface quickly dries out, making it inhospitable to microorganisms.
Why does aged beef not rot?
When you dry age beef, the outside dries out quickly but the inside remains moist enough for those muscle fibers to retain their tightness, and bacteria can’t penetrate them.
Is fresh beef better than aged?
Dry-aged beef has the nutritional benefits of regular beef but with added tenderness, bold flavor, and ease of digestibility. Now dry-aged beef isn’t reserved for high-end restaurants and butcheries. You can have it delivered to your door for a reasonable price. That’s saying something.