Title: Your Guide to Dry-Aged Beef | Taste of Home
Headings: Your Guide to Dry-Aged Beef
Your Guide to Dry-Aged Beef
What is dry-aged beef? Why is dry-aged steak so expensive? Here's what you need to know.
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Lindsay D. Mattison

Content: During the dry-aging process, large cuts of beef are aged for weeks (or even months) in temperature- and humidity-controlled refrigerators. Unlike wet-aging (where the beef is contained inside a vacuum-sealed package to age in its own juices), dry-aged beef is left uncovered. As the surrounding air drys out the meat, the beef loses moisture, shrinking in size and concentrating its flavor. The beef’s natural enzymes also go to work, breaking down connective tissue to make the meat more tender. During the process, a layer of white mold grows on the surface of the meat. This mold is an indicator that the beef is aging safely, but don’t worry; the outer layer is removed long before the steak makes its way to your plate! After two weeks, you’ll start to notice a textural difference in the steak. Age it for longer than 21 days, and the flavor will start to change, too. A 30-day aged steak has a very beefy flavor with a hint of buttered popcorn.