28.11.2019

Ripened on the bone

«Ripened on the bone» or «dry-aged» – a traditional process comes back into fashion

Have you ever stood in front of the meat ripening chamber and marvelled at the delicacies inside? Every kind of meat must ripen - but beef in particular. Only in this way can its tenderness and taste develop to the full.

Since vacuum-packing of foodstuffs was introduced in the 1960s, the aging of meat in its packaging – in other words air-sealing – has been customary. Recently, however, dry aged meat has become a real trend. In this process, the beef is left to dry in the air for 2-5 weeks. However, air temperature and humidity must be controlled to achieve the desired result. The drying causes loss of weight, and the process is more labour-intensive and takes up more space than vacuum-packing. This is the reason for the significant price differential on the market.

Which meat is better? This is and remains a question of taste. Some swear by the special nutty and intensive aroma of dry aged beef, while others have a problem with it. Try out which meat suits you best!

Read also the scientific comparison of the processes by Pierre-Alain Dufey.