Learn how to cook aged meat for a superlative dining experience

Aged meat is full of flavor and excitement, and must be cooked properly in order to fully enjoy what it has to offer. The concept of eating food that is less than fresh can be unappetizing to some.

However, once you know how to cook aged meat you’ll likely think just the opposite.

About Aged Meat

The process of aging food is a way to preserve and add flavor at the same time. When allowed to rest and mature, the product is able to develop flavors that it wouldn’t otherwise. The result is meat that succulent,complex and delicious. 

Once the animal is slaughtered for aged meat, it is carefully butchered and portions are placed inside a temperature-controlled environment. The location is often cool, with relatively high humidity. The product is placed in this climate-controlled environment for days or even weeks.

During this time, the enzymes in the food begin to break down the tissue, which develops the flavor and makes the finished product extremely tender. The end product is a food with flavor that is incomparable to the fresh items found in the market.

Contrarily, food that is placed on the market quickly doesn’t get the chance to develop those flavors and is often bland and boring.

Therefore, people who are looking for the richest flavor, often splurge for this a gourmet product in order to experience the best taste possible.

Butter-Fry Method for Beef

Preparing beef in butter is a way to make it taste even richer and more decadent. Steak and butter is actually a traditional pairing, hence the creation of so many butter-based sauces that find their way on top of cuts of beef. 

Place a frying pan on a stove burner that is set to medium heat, for about a minute, then drop 2 tbsp. of butter into the pan. Allow it to sizzle until it turns a golden brown hue. In the meantime, pat your steaks dry with a paper towel. Doing so helps the beef develop a crust.

Sit your beef into the hot butter and allow it to develop that texturally-pleasing crust. Flip it over after about 10 minutes. Resist the urge to lift and check the steak constantly, as doing so interferes with the cooking process.

After the other side of the steak has cooked for 10 minutes, remove it from the pan and set it on a cutting board. Let the steak “rest” for about two or three minutes, by leaving it alone. If you cut into the beef before it has had a chance to rest, the flavorful juices will escape upon slicing. However, letting the meat sit helps it to develop its flavor further, and ensures you won’t lose that succulent juiciness when you cut. 

Grill Method

Grilling has a way of adding flavor and excitement to just about any item, and mature beef is no exception. During this particular method, the fat in the steak will begin to melt, adding flavor to the cuisine.

You can use either a gas or charcoal grill, but you must make sure it is very hot before you add the food. Achieve this goal with the charcoal grill by placing about 35 briquettes in the center of the grill and allowing them to heat up for about 15 or 20 minutes, or until the flame burns off. Then place the lid on the grill with the vent open for about five minutes.

In the meantime, drizzle your steak with a mixture of oil and clarified butter, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Avoid placing so much of the mixture on the steaks that it will drip off, as this can cause flare-ups in your grill.

Place the steaks on the grill and leave them alone for five to ten minutes, depending on the level of doneness you want to achieve. Use a pair of grill tongs to flip the steak around. Tongs won’t poke holes into your beef like a fork or knife will, and is much safer than using your hands.
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Pull the steaks off when they are done to you liking and allow them to rest for a few minutes before slicing into them. What you’ll be left with is beef that is moist, juicy and absolutely dripping with flavor. 

The next time you have a few guests over or want to spoil yourself, opt for food of this nature — you won’t be sorry. And once you know how to cook aged meat, you’ll likely stay away from the fresh variety.

Resources:

New York Magazine: How to Grill the Perfect Steak

Beef.com: How to Prepare Dry Aged Beef Using a Butter-Fry Method

Gizmodo: The Science of Taste: Or Why Dry-Aged Meat is so Damned Delicious