Why is Aged Steak Better?

I was recently talking someone about steak, imagine that. I mentioned that you want to make sure your steak has at the very least 14 days of age and received a look like I had two heads. Aging steak has two benefits; adds that delicious steak flavor and increases the tenderness. Aging steak can take a good steak and transform it into a great steak. However, beef has to be aged correctly to achieve the benefits of aging.

The entire beef muscle that the steak is cut from must remain intact for the aging process to work correctly. It also has to be kept in cool temperatures like a refrigerator. There are two methods to age beef; wet aging or dry aging. Wet aging means the beef is vacuum sealed and kept in a refrigerator. Dry aging is when the steak is stored fully exposed to the open air of a cooler and kept at a specific humidity level.

What exactly happens during aging? Over time the muscle fibers of the beef breaks down which is what will make a steak more tender. Aging will also give steak a bolder flavor. A steak with 5 days age will be dramatically different than a steak with 28 days age. That's why aging a steak is so important to the quality of a great steak.

The next time you buy steak, make sure it has at at the very minimum 14 days age.