As we all know, beef is composed of fat, protein, cellulose, and carbohydrates. Beef maturation is the natural fermentation of fresh beef at a designated temperature and humidity. This kind of beef is more flavorful and softer. This technology originated from the United States. Many high-end restaurants have matured beef. This year it is even more popular on the Internet. If there is no matured beef in the restaurant, you will be embarrassed to say hello. What do dry-aged and wet-aged beef mean?

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Principle of dry-aged beef

Dry-aged beef is called Dry Aged Beef in English, or DA steak for short. High-quality or even top-quality beef is placed in a constant temperature, constant humidity, and ventilated storage environment of 0-4°C. The surface layer is air-dried and hardened. The enzymes produced by the inner layer of beef loosen the muscle fibers, and the delicious gravy is produced during the dry aging process. And locked in it by the shell.

The dehydration caused by dry aging can concentrate the flavor of the meat, while the long aging time will bring the aroma of ham and acorn to the beef. Meat, like cheese, needs to be matured for a certain period of time. Slow chemical changes give the steak a better flavor and make the meat more tender. Usually 14 to 40 days of fermentation process.

Principle of wet-aged beef

After the finished beef is vacuum-packed, it is placed in a refrigerator at 0°C to 1°C and sealed and matured for about 40 days according to a specific humidity. The enzymes in beef break down proteins and convert them into various amino acids, which are used to increase the flavor of beef and make the texture of beef softer. The ripening of meat is mainly the function of muscle enzymes.

Patrizio Sacchetto, executive chef of LA Master Kitchen Restaurant, said: Enzymes break down proteins into amino acids with excellent flavor, convert glycogen into glucose, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into inosine nitrogen phosphate ( IMP), fats are converted into flavored fatty acids.

The maturation time of these two types is 14-21 days, and the taste is directly proportional to the time. After 30-45 days of maturation, the meat fiber is decomposed, the amino acid content is increased, and it tastes more tender and more delicious. fragrant. There are currently only three high-end restaurants in Shenyang that make dry-aged steaks, and the prices are certainly high.

Conrand Hotel Executive Chef Gordon is processing a grilled T-bone steak. This steak is dry-aged for 28 days and is Australian M3 grade.

This steak is dry-aged eye-eye steak from the Ring Steak House. The chef of the Ring Steak House recommends eating it: just sprinkle a little Morton sea salt. The moment the beef enters your mouth, it tastes delicious. You can feel the thick gravy, the aroma of beef fat, and the thick and solid taste. If you like strong flavors and freshly ground black pepper particles, dry-aged steaks are suitable to be paired with old vine wine with high tannin content.

The chef especially recommends dry-aged steaks to be tasted as they are, just sprinkle with a little sea salt. The moment the beef enters your mouth, you can experience the rich juicy, fragrant beef, and thick and solid texture. If Love the strong flavor plus freshly ground black peppercorns. From the moment the matured steak is taken out of the oven, the brown color of the steak, the rich aroma of butter and meat, and the sizzling sound stimulate the diners' senses from sight, smell, and hearing. Dry-aged steaks will suffer a lot of loss. , the skin of beef will become hard due to air-drying. Only top steakhouses will use dry aging, because this process will evaporate about 20% of the weight of the meat, and the dry and hard skin on the steak must be peeled off, leaving only the edible part. It's down 60-70%.

Expensive steaks combined with the time and loss rate, plus the cost of building and maintaining a breeding room, are enough to prohibit ordinary restaurants. Wet-aged beef has less loss, but the taste is not as good as dry-aged beef. The distance between you and top gourmets is only one aged steak.

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