Articles & recettes
5 October 2023
The aging of meat is a culinary practice that is sparking the interest of many food enthusiasts. If you are one of them, you have probably already seen listings of meat "matured" for 15, 30, 60 days (sometimes more) on the menu of a fine restaurant or in a butcher's shop. In fact, this is the case for some of the meats in our catalog. In this article, you will learn more about this process and its advantages.
Aging meat is a very interesting way of improving the texture and taste of meat. Meat naturally contains enzymes which serve as an accelerator in the breaking down of muscle tissue. By storing the meat at low temperature (generally between 1°C and 5°C, depending on the method), the enzymes pursue this process of connective tissue decomposition, tenderizing the meat for several weeks. There are two possible methods for maturing meat: dry aging and sous-vide aging (or wet aging).
Dry aging is the storage of pieces of meat in an open air environment with a low temperature and controlled humidity. With this method, not only do the enzymes tenderize the meat, but the controlled humidity also allows some of the water in the meat to evaporate. The result: concentrated flavors!
Often faster than dry aging, this method involves sealing the meat in a vacuum-sealed packaging, while still storing it in a temperature-controlled environment. Although this technique does not produce the same levels of flavor intensity as dry aging (no evaporation of water), it does help to improve meat tenderness.
Aging meat is a unique process that truly makes all the difference. From the very first bite, you will notice the tenderness and flavors multiplied exponentially. Aging is not a process that can be used on all meats: it is most often used on beef, but can also be performed on lamb or duck for example.
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