The Delicacy of Dry-aged Beef

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When it comes to beef, there is nothing better than a dry-aged steak. No other type of steak compares with the tenderness and the exploding beefy taste that a perfectly dry aged steak provides. It is disappointing to see that such a renowned craft is dying. There was a time when dry-aged beef was widely accessible to just about anyone due to it being sold in most butcher shops in America. But times have changed and less expensive methods, like wet aging, have caused the market to deter attention from dry age beef. Though it is a declining art, dry aging is still recognized as a delicacy throughout the United States. Dry age beef is so special because it has such amazing and unique flavor. Also, the complicated and costly process makes harder to find.

The experience of biting into a dry aged steak is almost indescribable. The buttery texture allows your teeth to sink smoothly into the beef and your mouth is immediately flooded with an intense beefy roasted flavor. As you finish your bite of this temptingly tasty dry aged beef, your taste buds are left in awe and a feeling of complete desire is felt for another. The taste of dry aged beef is second to none and beef that is not aged lacks the explosive concentrated flavor that dry age offers. The taste is so extraordinary that the only way to experience it is to try it.

How to Dry Age Steak

Dry aging meat is an old artisan art of preparing beef for optimal flavor and it started to decline with the invention of vacuum sealed bags. Vacuum sealed bags led to the invention of the cost effective wet aging which is a more common practice than dry aging. Dry aging requires intense amount of care and cost. The meat is placed or hung in freezers with temperatures between 32 to 36 Fahrenheit. It must be stored in environments with key temperatures and humidity settings which adds to this cost. Also along with it is the labor and care cost, so there is no wonder why people switched to the less expensive practice of wet aging. During the process of dry aging the muscle is broken down by the beef’s natural enzymes which cause the steak to be more tender and toothsome. You can dry age beef for a long amount of time, ranging from fifteen to a whopping hundred days (though the effects of dry aging start taking effect on the meat usually around eleventh day). How long it is aged depends entirely on the craftsman. The more a meat is dry aged the darker the complexion it will take. This is why a dry aged steak has a darker color (having a brownish hue) and a wet aged steak has a more reddish color. Dry aged meat has a brownish tone because of the oxygen and moisture being sucked out of it which also causes it to weigh less. The president of DeBragga Marc Sarrazin said “Up to 50% of the weight can be lost through the dry aging process, but what is lost in weight is gained in its rich flavor and buttery texture.”

Where to Find Dry Aged Steaks

Finding dry age beef can be difficult due to its rarity and limited suppliers. Average grocery stores cannot afford to store USDA prime or Dry Aged beef. Only upscale grocery stores like Wegmans and Dean & DeLuca offer dry-aged beef but even then it is in a limited variety. Gourmet steakhouses serve dry age beef like The Capitol Grille, Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse and Peter Luger Steakhouse. The cost is driven up by its suppliers due to its high production and storage costs. If you don’t wish to get dressed up to go to a high end steakhouse or drive to your nearest upscale grocery store, where do you buy dry-aged beef? There is not only another option but a better one in my preference which is online mail order steak. Ordering steak online gives you access to full variety such as dry aged ribeye steak, dry aged filet mignon, dry-aged porterhouse steak, dry aged beef tenderloin, etc. while leaving total control in your hands. Dry aged beef that is sold by online companies is just as good, if not better, than at upscale grocery stores or high end steakhouses. Your order is usually shipped in two days or earlier in some cases they ship overnight. Online mail order steaks are a great option for gifting as the recipient of the gift receives a surprising but a greatly appreciated gift. The cost can be less online due to deals and coupons which are consistently being offered by online companies. A highly reputable online beef provider is the Chicago Steak Company. Just by Google rankings alone they have a higher rating than their competitors, they claim to provide the Ultimate Steak Experience as their corporate Chef was quoted saying” There is nothing better than a dry aged steak from Chicago Steak Company. We dry age our beef for up to six weeks in a controlled atmosphere. Our dry aged steaks really are a delicacy”

Dry aged beef is a luxury we all deserve to enjoy. It will provide you with an experience and taste you will never forget. Dry age beef is expensive because it is such a highly valued product and goes through a complex process to be created. Because of its limited amount of suppliers, it is a bit harder to find but that problem can be solved due to online mail order options that provide endless variety with fast shipping that comes with dry ice and a cooler. Though it is available online, in high end steak houses and grocery stores many steak fanatics take it upon themselves to age the beef at home because they are such fans of it.