Dry-aged beef: learn more about its production and handling!

If you've heard of dry-aged meat, you may have experienced a dual feeling: surprise and curiosity. While we're surprised by the flavor of this meat, we're curious to know how it's produced.

The mastery of great pitmasters is expressed not only in the perfect practice of known techniques but also in the creation of new procedures, capable of maximizing the flavor, texture, aroma, and appearance of food.

Naturally, the techniques created for barbecue are diverse, and each offers a different enriching effect for preparation. Therefore, be sure to combine the best knives with the best procedures.

Next, the CIMO team will teach you about the practice of dry aging, that is, the production of dry-aged meat.

What is dry aging?

Dry aging is the process of dry maturation of meats, which results in the breakdown of connective tissue within the cut. This type of meat is hung to dry for weeks on end. After slaughter, the animal can be hung as a whole carcass or in halves.

The process should be done using noble cuts of meat, as they have a richer and well-distributed content of fat. The result of this technique is the concentration and saturation of natural flavor.

Indeed, the preparation of dry-aged meat is as appreciated as that of other famous and traditional meats, such as brisket. All thanks to its production process.

The two main changes caused in the meat are desiccation and the breakdown of connective tissue. In the first case, the moisture in the piece is eliminated through evaporation, which causes desiccation.

Meat contains 75% water, so reducing this amount through evaporation makes the flavor more concentrated. This way, the natural flavor of the steak is intensified.

At the same time, maturation favors the action of enzymes, which break down large protein molecules into smaller parts, making the food easier to consume.

Thus, desiccation is the process that makes the meat drier and more concentrated. The breakdown of connective tissue contributes to the tenderness of the piece, eliminating the tougher layers of muscle.

Preparation stages

Dry-aged meat is considered a high-level ingredient, combining with all the various types of Brazilian barbecue. However, it requires a lot of care and attention. Below, we discuss some important steps and observations:

• Airing

Taking the steak directly from the refrigerator to the frying pan is a procedure to be avoided. What happens in this case is that the abrupt change in temperature ends up releasing water and proteins all at once!

The result is that the piece becomes too dry and has a grayish color that is not very compatible with the appearance of succulent food. Therefore, it is necessary to let the meat rest at room temperature before putting it on the fire.

• Seasoning

Interestingly, seasoning aged meat can end up masking the true flavor of the food. Using salt correctly may be enough to ensure a good level of seasoning.

If the meat is salted, in 15 minutes, the water from the steak comes out, forming a small filter on the surface of the piece. Just wait another half an hour for this filter to dissolve and the water to return to the steak, carrying the salt into the meat.

Oh, and if you need to think more about how to choose more elaborate seasonings for your barbecue, we have exactly what you need right here. A whole post about the best barbecue seasonings!

• Frying pan

Without the right equipment, it's difficult to prepare the perfect dry-aged steak. The ideal is to have a pan capable of distributing heat evenly, which ensures a more precise cooking process that benefits all parts of the steak.

Quality of dry-aged meat:

Due to a lack of information, some people end up having the mistaken idea that aged meat is some kind of spoiled food. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth!

As the name suggests, aged meat is a piece that has been matured before being consumed. It is possible to find maturation processes that last up to more than a hundred days, while others can finish in a week.

The food does not spoil during this period because it is kept under conditions that rigorously control humidity and bacterial levels. Furthermore, the result of the process, as we mentioned, is a much tastier and super tender meat.

Due to the demands of maturation, dry-aged meat ends up becoming more expensive. This is because the process requires a lot of time and special conditions of temperature, humidity, and air circulation.

However, given all the quality offered by the final product, a positive calculation can be made to state that the cost-benefit of the piece is very attractive.

Now all you have to do is send us a good photo of your barbecue and leave a comment, telling us what you thought of our post. Don't forget to apply this knowledge to your daily cooking.