Four Benefits of Dry Aged Steaks
Dry-aged meat might be the best thing you’re ever going to put inside of your mouth, and we’re not even kidding. You can see what we mean by checking on the queuing list of high-end steak restaurants like Wolfgang Steakhouse, Porterhouse Steakhouse, or Nusret’s, and every day there are hundreds of people lining up to taste the wonders of a dry aged steak first-hand. Now, you might wonder yourself, “What makes it so special?” and lucky for you, we can answer that with a list of benefits that we’ve prepared beforehand:
Rich Flavors
The leading quality of dry-aged steaks is their rich and intense flavor that developed because of the dry-aging process’ role in keeping all of those succulent natural juices of the meat inside of it and therefore, enriching the meat’s flavor several folds and making it develop rich and intense umami that screams out quality with every bite; not to mention, the longer you dry-age the meat, the denser and more concentrated the flavor will become as it intensifies over time.
Enhanced Tenderness
Dry aging will benefit the meat by changing its natural hardness and firmness by starting the tenderization process. The enzymes within the meat will start to break down the muscle fibers and tissues encompassing the whole meat to make them looser and more relaxed than a fresh steak. The texture of the cut will show you how tender it is, and the lack of resistance the meat exhibit clearly speaks to us on how juicy and tender dry-aging has made it be.
Easier to Absorb Protein
The dry-aging process does not make your steak produce more protein, but the protein itself is more concentrated because the water inside the meat evaporates, and the collagen that holds all of the muscle fiber firm and in place will be gone. Thus, making the meat more tender and the protein packs are easier to absorb and digest by our bodies.
Less Smell
Freshly cut meat from a carcass of a dead animal will have a strong and pungent smell that could make a vegan throw up instantly, but that’s just because they are fresh, and it is supposed to have that funky smell. But when meat is properly dry-aged, they lose that musty smell because of how much the water has evaporated from the meat, and the texture becomes softer.
The Bottom Line
There’s really no competition between dry-aged steaks vs. regular steaks, and you can try it out yourself by comparing the two in one sitting. Dry-aged steaks have a richer and more concentrated flavor; they are super tender and easy to digest and are less smelly because of the dry-aging process. So, if you are still doubtful, you should definitely reserve a place at your local steakhouse to see what we mean!