Dry aged steak comes from a process of aging large cuts of meat for anywhere from several weeks to months prior to trimming it and cutting it into steaks. This process improves the flavour of the steak and makes it way more tender than if it were completely fresh.
The fact of the matter is that all meat can benefit from some amount of aging. Most of the steak that is consumed is wet-aged. Wet-aging is a process that involves sealing the meat in a bag in order to retain the moisture. A chemical transformation occurs whether the meat is wet-aged inside a vacuum-sealed bag or left out to dry age. The primary difference between wet-aged steak and dry aged steak from Hugh Maguire Butcher And Smokehouse is the flavour.
What Happens When You Dry Age Steak?
The first step in the process is the moisture being pulled out of the meat. The fat contains more water than the lean, thus the muscle shrinks around the fat. This makes the fat more pronounced and gives the steak more flavour.
In the aging process, bacteria is formed that adds a robust flavour profile to the dry aged steak, which is highly desirable. It is a very intense, rich flavour.
Why Is Dry Aged Better Than The Alternatives?
Customers who truly enjoy meat have begun to better understand the advantages of dry aged steak. When you first break open the package, you will notice the distinct rich, intense aroma. As the steak cooks, the molecules in the meat awake to the heat, which makes the smell so much more intense and pleasing to the senses. This is where you really notice that the dry aging process takes the meat above and beyond regular steak.
In addition to the incredible flavour, dry aging is also all about texture. Dry aged steak is fantastically tender. The process makes the meat soft, easy to cut, and much easier to digest.