You’ve probably seen dry-aged steaks on menus of local restaurants, but maybe you weren’t sure what that really means. There are not many differences that separate a home steak from a high-end restaurant version, but the most basic is a dry age. This accounts for taste as well as expense in most cases, so although the backyard barbecue steak is irreplaceable, it is a dry aged steak, aged for an extended amount of time, that makes the difference in cooking good steaks and cooking great steaks.
When beef is held for weeks before further processing continues, this process is called dry aging. The process renders meat flavorful, and tender, and it is conducive to larger operations because certain conditions and procedures must be followed in order to produce the desired results. The technique is more preservation through controlled spoilage that is then removed, so those involved in the process must be knowledgeable in the proper practices.
In order to develop this flavor and tenderization, large amounts of space and time are necessary. Additionally, the process requires the exact temperature and humidity requirements, or the meat would simply rot rather than properly dry-age. Because of the necessities required for proper dry aging to achieve the deep flavors and tenderization, its availability on this level is often only reserved for fancy steakhouses, specialty meat markets and high-end supermarkets.
Dry-aging is about three basic changes that occur to the dry aged beef’s structure and moisture loss is the primary factor in concentrating the flavor and also in decreasing the weight. Dry aged beef loses approximately 25 percent of its initial weight in water loss alone, however, the process concentrates flavor exponentially also. Moisture loss occurs primarily in the fat and in the outer layers of the meat.
Throughout the dry aging process, tenderization occurs when naturally occurring enzymes break down muscle fibers and connective tissues in the interior of the meat. This makes dry-aged steaks much more tender than if it were a fresh cut. The flavor change occurs throughout the process including developing deep beef notes.
So where can you get a dry-aged steak locally? Check out the prime dry-aged 14 oz NY Strip at Ludlow & Prime, Brentwood’s newest steak and seafood restaurant. Ludlow & Prime is locally owned and located in the heart of Brentwood at 330 Franklin Road. Follow them on Facebook for the latest updates.
