Dry Aged Beef

The great steak debate seems to rage over different cuts of meat. Some love the marbling of ribeye, the tenderness of filet mignon or the full flavors of the T-bone. But very few ever introduce dry-aged steaks into the conversation. That’s because these meaty delights are rare and difficult create. Make sure to indulge if you ever come across an opportunity to try this succulent style of dry aged beef. The depth of deliciousness will forever tip the balances, and you’ll be arguing for dry-aged steaks with your meat-loving friends for years to come.

It’s In The Enzymes

Nature offers up three macronutrients found in all steaks — proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These nutritional building blocks are tough, chewy and flavorless without a little bit of attention. That’s why humans have evolved to cook and season foods. It also explains our use of enzymes.

Enzymes live in all foods. We can create conditions where certain enzymes thrive in order to enhance the flavors of food. Ripening fruits and vegetables off the vine allow us to take advantage of certain enzymes. Fermentation is another great example of enzymes changing the flavors of food. And dry-aging also cranks up certain enzymes to give the steak a depth of flavor. But it’s really difficult to do properly.

The Butcher Shop: Southern Oregon’s Best Dry-ager

The folks at The Butcher Shop, based in Eagle Point just north of Medford, Oregon, have perfected the process of dry aged beef. They keep the meat in a cool temperature-controlled room with high humidity. This allows the natural enzymes of the meat to work their magic.

First off, the enzymes dry the meat out. Each cut loses about 5% of its weight to water loss which really concentrates the flavors being developed. The enzymes start breaking down the nutritional building blocks of protein, carbohydrates, and fats into different amino acids. Each of these amino acids comes with its own unique flavor. Some are savory, some are sweet and some are a little funky. This gives the meat a depth of flavor that simply cannot be matched by any fresh cut of steak whether it be filet mignon, ribeye or T-bone.

Let The Folks At The Butcher Shop Do It

Dry-aging must take place in an incredibly controlled environment. You cannot safely pull off the dry-aging process in your fridge. Simply opening and closing the door will introduce changes to the temperature and the humidity which will influence the process. You’re also likely to develop rotten bits of meat near the edges.

The experienced dry-agers at The Butcher Shop implement incredible safety standards. They understand the process intimately and can trim your dry-aged beef for you. It’s the best way to get the most flavorful steak in Southern Oregon. You can watch Brian in this video talk about how TBS treats the dry aging process.

Unrivaled Tenderness

The enzymes break down the connective tissue in the meat. This makes for the most tender piece of steak that’ll ever melt in your mouth. Pick up the best steak you’ll ever have at The Butcher Shop in Eagle Point, Oregon.  Start by visiting the website at https://butchershopinc.com/ then pick up some fresh vegetable sides while you’re there!