Beef Aging - What is Dry Aged Beef?

Foodies know that dry-aged beef is the ultimate experience when it comes to eating beef. It might cost more, but people who have ever had dry-aged beef will tell you it’s more than worth the expense.

If you don’t know much about dry-aged beef, you’re probably wondering what the big deal is. Read on to find out why dry-aged beef more than lives up to the hype.

What is Dry-Aged Beef?

All meat can benefit from any type of ageing, but butchers and food lovers generally agree that dry ageing produces the most impressive cuts of meat.

Dry ageing beef is a time-honoured technique of storing meat in a way that creates succulent and tender meat. The technique was originally used as a method of meat preservation before refrigeration and was carried out in cellars, caves, or special chambers.

Today when we dry age meat, it is put in a controlled, open-air environment anywhere from several days to a few weeks. The longer it ages, the more flavourful and tender the beef will be. By exposing the meat to the air, moisture is pulled out. This allows the natural enzymes in beef to slowly break down the muscle to make it more tender. A crust will form over the muscle, but the meat inside will stay incredibly fresh, red, and moist.

This air exposure also allows harmless bacteria and yeast to form on the meat. Much like with cheese, these substances end up creating a more intense flavour profile. When done correctly by experts, dry ageing won’t spoil the meat. The key is consistency: the airflow, humidity, and temperature need to be carefully controlled.

How To Cook Dry Aged Steak

You don’t need specialist knowledge to get the most out of the dry-aged beef you’ve bought from your local butchery. Prepare it the same way you’d prepare any other steaks but be sure not to overseason it. The flavour of the beef will already be quite intense and will end up ruined with too much seasoning and salt.

You also need to keep a close eye on the pan because dry-aged beef cooks faster than other cuts of meat.

Delicious halal dry-aged beef can be found online at Arkenz ltd. You’ll also find other quality beef products like Halal Beef Lasagne, Beef Lasagne Ready Meals, and Beef burgers.