The aged beef is served in almost all decent restaurants. The price per steak may come up to 150 Euro. It all depends on certain crucial things, like the quality of raw product — the meat and the total time spent on the aging.
I decided to start a long-term experiment of finding the perfect, for me, meat taste.
There were several pieces of meat, 5−7 kg each, placed in climate chamber for aging under constant temperature +2C and 70% of humidity.
Today I’d like to share the first results of beef aging process.
The first piece has been aged for 23 days.
It’s well-seen on the photo that from the outside the meat got dry a lot, became dense and dark.
I can anticipate the question which is constantly raised: won’t the meat rot? No, it will not! Naturally, only in case the meat itself is clean, if it was treated following basic professional hygiene rules, using clean surfaces and clean kitchen tools. The chamber should be also clean and free from any other products.
When I took out the first piece, I could announce there were no signs of mold or rotting on the meat. The smell was also within normal range.
I cut off the bones and peeled the meat off the dry crust to get clean steaks. Inside the beef became darker as well and it changed its fiber structure a bit.
The steaks were fried in a regular way on both sides up to 54C (medium-rare).
I noticed the difference of tastes right away. The flavor became sophisticated and that is why more charming, and the aftertaste also was now longer and more respectable. Well, the steak was still not much softer but basically it should not be at all. If you prefer soft products then refer to chicken hamburgers.
The next stage of the experiment is coming soon, when the next piece of meat is aged up to 30 days.