The steak is in fashion and, as with all fashions, it has to evolve, become more sophisticated, bring new things to attract new followers and retain regular consumers. Fashions cannot stagnate, they cannot remain still for long. If the product does not change, the trend is ephemeral, temporary, its impact on the market fades quickly and sales… fall. That is why we now find meats from different origins, various breeds, ox (real) reappears on the menus and Wagyu is everywhere . But when we talk about chops, the evolution of the product that has most permeated the market and that raises the most debates among professionals in the sector is the aging of the meat. It is time to stop a little and reflect on the subject: what is the aging of the meat? What does it contribute to the chop? Are long aging periods good? Everything you always wanted to know and have never dared to ask about aging is in the following lines.
Why should meat be aged?
The European palate in general, and the Spanish in particular, is accustomed to eating aged animals. In fact, the EU only allows the term “cow” to be used on the labelling of pieces from cattle over four years old. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, for cultural, historical and even economic reasons, cattle over a year and a half old are not usually slaughtered for human consumption. And here is the first factor to take into account: the older the animal, the bigger and the more muscular volume .
What happens after a cow is slaughtered is, to put it colloquially, the contraction and hardening of the muscle fibres in its meat. This occurs mainly due to the lack of oxygen and water in the tissues, which produces a massive release of calcium in the animal's muscles. This chemical reaction occurs between 24 and 48 hours after slaughter. But it does not happen uniformly throughout the animal; the loins are particularly sensitive areas due to their high fibre content. Therefore, if If we tried to eat a beef tenderloin right after it has been slaughtered, we would lose our teeth in the attempt.
What is meat aging?
It is the process through which meat is naturally softened. The goal of ripening is to gain tenderness, However, it must be taken into account that the tenderness obtained through maturation is indirectly proportional to the flavour strength that the meat will have. Therefore, a good maturation process will seek to balance both qualities to reach an optimal point, that is, gain tenderness without losing flavour.
How is meat aged?
There are two ways to age meat: dry ageing (dry aged) and vacuum or "wet" maturation.
Dry maturation or dry aged
This is the most widely used maturation process in Europe today. It consists of preserving the meat in controlled humidity and temperature conditions. Meat is frozen at -1.5ºC, so to mature it, it can never be kept below 0.5ºC. Most often, the temperature for long maturation is set between 1º and 3ºC. As for humidity, it should be constant and controlled and be between 65% and 85%. In order not to break this enzymatic process, the meat must rest continuously within these parameters. This should only be done in suitable facilities that do not substantially modify these levels. In short... Never try to age meat at home.
Vacuum maturation.
This is the process commonly used in America, and must be carried out within the first 48 hours after slaughter. The meat is refrigerated in a vacuum package at a maximum temperature of 3º. This system prevents the meat from spoiling, and this method of preservation prevents the growth of microbes. However, this type of maturation should never exceed two weeks Since from this moment on, undesirable smells and flavours are produced, metallic aftertastes (liver, blood, viscera). Most of the times you have gone to a restaurant and the chop had a strong taste of blood... it is due to poor storage in the fridge and longer than recommended (humid aging).
What is the optimal ripening time?
Although this maturation thing is a trend, it is not new, it has been invented for decades, it has not just been discovered. For this reason, it has also been studied for decades. What are the optimal points of ripening ? To measure it, scientists use an instrument called a texturometer, which measures the hardness values of a piece of meat. Except for breeds with higher than normal hardness values, the optimal point of ripening occurs between day 21 and 35. Thanks to these studies, we also know that from day 30, 90% of the fibrillar ruptures have already been completed, therefore, the ripening process has ended. From this moment on, if meat softens, it is due to the decomposition of hemoglobin, myoglobin and other proteins in the meat. From 250 days onwards (depending on the animal), we enter the dangerous world of putrefaction.
Besides tenderness…what does aging contribute to meat?
The first and most visible effect of dry aging is the so-called “shrinkage”: the reduction in the volume of the loin. This decrease in weight is very significant and partly explains the very high price of meats with very long aging periods. A loin that has been aged for a year loses up to 40% of its weight.
As for flavour, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, maturation is a two-way street: The more tenderness is gained, the more primary (meaty) flavour is lost . That is why balance in maturation is very important. Once the first phase of maturation is over, if the meat is more than 40 days old and the animal is of a "normal" size, lactic, metallic and bloody flavours will appear. These are what we call "non-proper" flavours of the meat itself and which should never be present.
In conclusion, are extreme ripening periods good?
At this point you already have enough information to have your own criteria... if you still haven't reached a conclusion, I'll remind you that to dry age meat correctly It is essential to have adequate facilities . In other words, most of the long maturation processes that you can try have not been carried out properly. In most grill houses, the meat is matured without taking into account critical factors such as humidity and temperature, so when you eat it… you won't want to eat it again. To try an extreme maturation process, you must go to specialists who take care of the process, including: High Loin in Barcelona, Ca Joan In Alicante there are two standard-bearers. As for suppliers, Iruki meats has a product dry aged very carefully. Try it and… decide for yourself!
SOURCE: http://www.lamejorchuletadebilbao.com/la-maduracion-de-la-carne/