5 things to know about maturing meat
The maturation of meat in brief
As we have already explained in previous articles, maturing is a very important and complicated phase in the maturation process of the meat which must take place in a particular cold room of the butcher which precedes its consumption. Its purpose is to intensify the flavor and soften the beef: if done to perfection, by master butchers, the longer it is, the softer and tastier the meat will be. For example, for the meat of our cattle, born and raised on the family farm exclusively with hay and cereals, we have chosen to opt for long maturation (minimum 21 days) and very long maturation with the Dry Aging technique. This technique consists of maturing the beef in cutting-edge refrigerated cells with UV rays, with controlled temperatures and humidity, in order to guarantee dry maturing in total safety.
The best Dry Aged steaks such as: the Sashi Gold Dry Aged Ribeye , the Fiorentina Sashi Gold Dry Aged and the Sashi Dry Aged Fillet come only from the best cattle, raised according to nature, which allow us to obtain a unique concentration of flavours. The secret to the goodness of the cuts of meat from our online butcher's shop? Healthy and happy cattle, respect for traditions and ancient artisan knowledge: these are the factors for obtaining fantastic Dry Aged meat. But let's discover some curiosities about this practice.
5 curiosities about maturation
There are two ways to mature meat : Dry Aging, or dry aging, and Wet Aging, wet aging. Both maturations take place in refrigerated cells, the substantial difference is that in the first case the maturation of the beef takes place at a controlled temperature using UV lamps with forced ventilation. Instead, with the Wet Aging technique the beef is preserved under vacuum.
No to the home refrigerator. To mature meat you cannot use refrigerators like those we have in private homes or even the butcher's refrigerators next door; this is because if you proceed with the maturation of the meat in unsuitable environments you risk damage to the taste and health. It is important to remember that these practices must always be carried out in controlled environments and through the use of cutting-edge cells with UV rays, temperatures and humidity constantly monitored by specialized personnel.
Seasoning and chemistry. In addition to what is known about seasoning, it is important to remember that it is not only used to enhance the taste or intensity of certain aromas, as happens with cured meats. In this case, seasoning is a "matter of chemistry" and is used to carry out complicated chemical-physical processes that are used to modify the beef and make it edible. This process is necessary because when the animal is slaughtered the meat is too hard to be consumed and the maturing is used to guarantee the consumption of soft, tasty and fragrant beef.
The goodness of dark color. We understand that dry-aged meat is very tasty, but we often turn up our noses when we see that seasoned cut of meat that is particularly dark: almost black. However, let's remember that to consume Dry Aged cuts it is good practice to remove the first layers of meat and fat (with a very strong flavour) and proceed to cooking the innermost layers without fear: soft and fiery red in colour. The maximum expression will be when you consume the dry-aged meat cooked rare to release a full flavour, a clean and non-greasy sensation in the mouth.
The new consumer craze. Dry-aged meat is becoming more and more popular in starred restaurants and on Italian tables. This is because its softness and its unique flavor conquers everyone from the first bite and it is difficult to go back. So the restaurateur and the online butcher decide to adapt to the ever-increasing demand and have decided to offer their customers these quality cuts of matured meat from Italian cattle.
Our vision
Having always been far from the logic of large-scale retail trade, we at Carne Genuina have discarded the cold-sensitive Wet Aging, which allows the beef quarters to mature under vacuum in a very short time, and we wanted to rely on our master butcher and apply the traditional Dry Aged maturation: l ancient art dating back to the 17th century. Only the meat of the best cattle raised with lots of grass and hay and without antibiotics like ours offers the possibility of opting for long maturation. Nutrition, breed, environment, slaughter and maturation are the five factors that influence the result and our constant controls allow us to obtain excellent products.
