Dry Aging is a process where meats are stored in a controlled environment for a length of time.
Beef is well known for the benefits it gains from dry aging, producing restaurant class tenderness and flavour. In fact, dry aging is the secret that many top restaurants use to deliver such great steaks.
At its core the aging process is essentially a controlled process of decay. Good bacteria within the meat gradually break down the meat, muscles and fat resulting in a softer and more tender steak. In addition some of the moisture in the meat is released, resulting in a stronger and more meaty taste within around 21-28 days.
Aging for periods over 28 days can create stronger changes to the taste, adding complex nutty flavours to the beef. This isn’t to everyone’s tastes so 28 days is a common choice, but if you enjoy the flavours you can age longer if you like.
This depends largely on where you live and the facilities you have available. In the right climates, butchers will simply hang whole animals or selected cuts in a room and let nature go to work.
Temperature, humidity and cleanliness are important to dry aging, so special dry aging cabinets are made for commercial use. These are typically very expensive, creating a controlled ecosystem inside.
At home dry aging used to be impractical, since the environment or equipment are not available. Some enthusiasts get by with modified fridges, adding temperature and humidity controls. Using your main fridge is not recommended since the temperature & humidity will change when you open the door, bad bacteria can enter and the smell will affect your other foods.
UMAi Dry bags turn this around, making dry aging cheap and easy in your standard fridge at home.
The bags contain a special membrane that allows air to enter and moisture to escape. It keeps bad bacteria away from the meat and prevents smells from taking over the fridge.
You should always age large primal cuts rather than individual steaks, since the outer layer that forms will need trimming off when the aging is complete.
In addition to beef, several foods such as salami and air-dried hams follow the same basic principals (air + time) of dry aging and are therefore compatible with the UMAi products.
UMAi provide a variety of different types of bags for different types of meats.
BritiShop are an authorised reseller of UMAi Dry products in Thailand and we have a selection of different products available.
Most sets come with 3 bags allowing you to make several tasty home creations.