Dry Aging Meat: How, What and Why...

The Dutch consumer programme Keuringsdienst van Waarde even dedicated an entire feature to it: dry aging. It was bound to happen, because dry aging has become a real hype in the world of meat. Even supermarkets are now full of so-called aged meat. But what is all the fuss about? Why deliberately let meat get older? Quite simply, to make it taste better. But there is aging, and then there is aging. Aged meat is by no means always dry aged. Wet aging exists too. Yes, really. And for many people, that is already the first misunderstanding. Simply aging meat in a vacuum is nowadays the standard.

Meat is actually always aged to some extent, because after slaughter it needs time to rest before it can be eaten. After a cow is slaughtered, the meat needs to be chilled for at least two weeks before it is ready to eat. And that really is the absolute minimum. As gruesome as it may sound, rigor mortis sets in after slaughter, so the meat needs some time to relax and become tender again. The real question is: how is that meat aged? Dry, exposed to the air, or wet, under vacuum?

In general, meat is aged under vacuum because this is the most economical method. No moisture is lost and the meat remains intact. The oxygen is removed, and at a temperature just below 0°C, spoilage bacteria have very little chance to develop. With dry aging, however, the meat loses a lot of moisture, causing it to shrink and its flavour to become more concentrated. In addition, a hard, dark crust forms on the outside of the meat during dry aging and has to be trimmed away. So there is additional weight loss as well.

Dry aging is a process in which carcasses are aged in the open air for at least 21 days, and often much longer, inside a specially designed ageing cabinet or chamber. In this environment, humidity and climate are carefully controlled at around 85% humidity and a temperature between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius. A hard, dry crust forms on the outside, helping prevent bacteria from penetrating the meat. Beneath that crust, moisture gradually evaporates from the meat, making the flavour more concentrated and intense. At the same time, the dry-aging process slowly breaks down the muscle tissue, making the meat more tender. This is especially effective with beautifully marbled meat. So dry aging affects both flavour and texture.

So how long should you age the meat? That depends. Once you go beyond 4 weeks, the flavour and texture start changing almost day by day. The ageing process creates a black crust, which may not look particularly appealing at first. But once that hard crust is trimmed away, it reveals incredibly tender meat with an intense, concentrated flavour. After 8 weeks, the flavour can become so pronounced that it takes on an almost nutty character. In a “normal” ageing cabinet, around 120 days is generally considered the maximum. The meat becomes more concentrated in flavour, but also slightly less juicy as the ageing period increases. It develops more bite, so to speak. There are definitely people who love that, but as with everything, it is not for everyone. Taste is, after all, a matter of personal preference.

Ever seen a 28-day-aged chicken breast on a menu? Probably not. And for good reason: it simply is not an option. Not every type of meat is suitable for aging. Chicken has a short shelf life and would simply spoil. Beef, on the other hand, is perfectly suited to dry aging, particularly cuts from the back such as ribeye, côte de boeuf and entrecôte. Cattle are dry slaughtered, meaning the hide is removed from the carcass. Underneath sits a layer of fat, which is ideal for aging.

The back cuts of the animal also contain the most intramuscular fat and therefore have beautiful marbling. That is exactly what makes these cuts so suitable for dry aging. Lamb is also aged fairly regularly, although for a shorter period because the animals are simply smaller. Pork is sometimes aged as well, but again for less time than beef. Otherwise, the aging process can start to negatively affect the flavour and texture.

Aging chicken is therefore an absolute no-go. Game, on the other hand, is sometimes aged, particularly deer and wild boar. Hare is also hung and dry aged. But the whole hype around dry aging really developed around beef, especially premium breeds with a distinctive, authentic beef flavour.

Do not be misled if you want to try a dry-aged steak. As you can read above, there is a big difference between one type of aged meat and another. Pre-packed South American beef, for example, is always aged. It has to be. After all, the meat spends around 4 weeks travelling by ship. It is vacuum packed, so it is wet aged. In a supermarket, you will therefore hardly ever find South American beef that has not been aged. If the packaging says “aged for 28 days”, there is a good chance it is exactly the same piece of meat as the “regular” South American steak. Just a little more expensive, of course. If meat has actually been dry aged, this will be stated specifically. So that is a useful little fact to keep in mind if you want to treat yourself to a delicious dry-aged steak.

Of course, you will also find some beautiful dry-aged steaks with us. I am a big fan myself! For years, we have had our own ageing cabinet in our shop in Meppel (Lantinga Slagerij & Vershuis). Naturally raised and dry aged for 28 days. Beautiful meat with an intense, full flavour, aged on the bone and beautifully marbled, making it exceptionally tender. A real treat! And of course, you will find even more dry-aged steaks in our range (just type dry aged into the search bar!). Definitely worth trying...

Dry Aged