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Dry Aged Beef: The Ultimate in Taste?
Post Entry #1: 7/18/08
Beef is a specialty and favorite of ours and we proudly offer a wide and dynamic spectrum of mouth watering options. When speaking of mouth watering, many consider dry aged beef to be the ultimate beef taste experience. We're proud to feature dry aged beef on our menu and we invite you to try what just may be the best steak you will ever taste. We thought you'd enjoy to learn more about it as we invite you to experience it for yourself here at Theos.
What is Dry Aged Beef and Why Should I Care?
Two factors account for the superiority of dry-aged beef. First, dry aging beef allows the natural enzymes to break down the tough connective tissue in the meat, while second, the evaporation of water allows for a concentrated and richer flavor. As the water goes, the flavor of the beef is concentrated. This method is not new, in fact, it is quite a time honored technique. This quality aging method makes the beef you buy not only more tender, but concentrates flavor and produces meat that is superb in taste and texture. Once you've had the good fortune of tasting dry-aged beef, you'll discover this remarkable depth of flavor for yourself and agree that nothing compares. It is that good!
These days, most beef is aged in plastic shrink-wrap, a process known as wet-aging. Wet aging or aging-in-the-bag has become the industry norm, 90% of aged beef is done this way. The beef is vacuum packed in plastic and sits at temperatures of 34-38 degrees for 7-28 days. Inside the plastic, the meat ages and becomes more tender yet there is no flavor development since there is not a concentration of flavor occurring with loss of moisture.
Dry-aged beef, on the other hand, is exposed to air so dehydration can further concentrate the meat's flavor. It's a more expensive process than wet-aging, however, because the meat loses weight from dehydration( approx. 18% ). It then also must be trimmed of its completely dried exterior, processes all together requiring more time, storage, refrigerator space, and labor. Also only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. For these reasons one seldom sees dry aged beef outside of the finest steak restaurants, upscale groceries, and butcher shops.
Go ahead and treat yourself today and discover a whole new flavor level of beef, it will be a revelation to your taste-buds. And the best part is, as always, here at Theo's tastes like these are priced to be within the reach of a normal budget like yours. We think that you deserve to taste the finer things in life. This makes a great candidate for that list. Enjoy!