Better with age

There are despairingly few instances where age improves the flesh. In fact, we can think of only one: Dry-ageing. Of beef, that is.

The process of leaving hunks of beef out to dry in a temperature and humidity-controlled room yields meat with such distinctive flavours that over the past couple of years, an increasing number of chefs have started their own dry-ageing facilities in their restaurants.

When steakhouse Skirt opened three years ago at W Hotel, it introduced its own dry-ageing cabinets. Lined with slabs of Himalayan salt, these glass-walled chillers showcase beef from Australia and Ireland in all their moulding glory.

Today, establishments such as District 10’s new Bar & Restaurant at Suntec City and Opus Bar & Grill at The Hilton Singapore have also installed their own in-house facilities.

OLD TECHNIQUE REVIVED

While in-house dry-ageing facilities at restaurants may be a relatively new thing, dry-ageing of beef is as time-honoured a method as curing pork. It is, after all, as back-to-basics as letting the beef hang out to dry and allowing time and microbes to work their magic.

To witness the action first-hand, we headed to Emporium Shokuhin at Marina Square, where its dry-ageing facility is a glass-walled refrigerator the size of a small room. The smell is surprisingly appealing, like a subtle mix of cheese, sage, earth and blood. There are hefty ribs of beef hanging from hooks, while row after row of hunky rib eyes and loins sit on metal shelves. Much of the meat is covered in a creamy, yellowish cauliflower-patterned mould.

All this is proof that some delicious chemistry is at play, as the meats’ enzymes take advantage of time and the chilly air to work themselves free. These enzymes break proteins down into amino acids, which deepen the flavour of the meat. At the same time, they turn small amounts of carbohydrates in the meat into sugars, weakening the connective tissue around the protein strands so that the meat becomes tender and sweeter.

Meanwhile, as the water in the meat works its way out, the meat begins to shrink and its flavours begin to concentrate. The process is akin to reducing stock — the more the liquid evaporates, the more intense the flavour of the resulting broth.

“Good airflow (in the dry-ageing room) is very important,” explained Emporium Shokuhin’s meat specialist Ryan Goh. “You can’t crowd the room and we keep the temperature between 2°C and 4°C and humidity at 60 per cent. We also keep the door well-sealed so the air doesn’t escape too much and we don’t let too much of the warmer air from the outside in.”

While most restaurants and butchers say they dry-age their meat for between 30 and 45 days, Goh pointed out that there isn’t a cut-and-dried formula. It all depends on the type and size of the meat, and the flavour you want to achieve. Fattier beef, for example, can require a longer ageing before the effects of the process are noticeable.

“You have to observe and touch the meat after a certain number of days to see if it needs to be aged some more,” he said. “If the surface of the meat is still moist, then I would give it a few more days in the dry-aging room. You can usually tell when it’s ready from the touch, sight and smell of the beef.”

At Huber’s Butchery’s factory on Pandan Loop, dry-ageing is done in a slower and more controlled process, said executive director Andre Huber. “We take about 60 days to age what others would usually do in 28 days because we think (the slower process) is safer and yields beef with better flavour and texture.”

Right now, Huber’s retails beef that has been dry-aged for a minimum of 30 days up to a maximum of 60 days. This month, it will offer a customised dry-ageing programme, where customers can order various cuts of meat, including a whole prime rib that typically weighs between seven and 12kg, and dictate how long they would like it to be dry-aged.

WHAT PRICE, BEEFINESS?

The question is: How different does this beef taste from your regular beef? Most chefs will tell you that dry-aged beef tastes “nuttier”, “musky”, “like mushrooms” or “like blue cheese”. Most restaurants say they sell beef that is aged up to 45 days because any longer and the flavour becomes too pungent for diners to appreciate.

Those who have tasted dry-aged beef, such as medical professional Shirin Lee, say it is worth the higher cost.

“I tried my first piece of dry-aged beef at Skirt last year and was really taken by the deeper flavour of the meat,” she said. “There is the distinct mushroom-like flavour that you don’t get from regular steaks.”

Tertiary student Gerald Soh said he often saves up to dine on dry-aged beef because the flavour and texture is far superior to regular beef. “My friends and I are happy to pay more to enjoy a dry-aged prime rib once in a while than spend less on lesser cuts of meat. The full flavour and tenderer, juicy meat are just incomparable.”

Dry-aged beef costs more because of its lesser yield. Before a cut of dry-aged meat can be used for cooking, chefs must carve out the rotten crust that forms around its surface (Huber called it “controlled decomposition”).

Then there is also shrinkage from moisture loss as the beef ages.

“By the time the beef is fully dry-aged, you’ve lost up to 60 per cent of the volume. That’s why it is more expensive,” explained Goh.

Still, like all things worth their salt, the higher premium isn’t stopping discerning carnivores from indulging in dry-aged beef.

As District 10’s Luca Perrezza says: “Once you’ve tried dry-aged beef, there is no turning back.”

BOX

HEAD: WHERE’S THE (DRY-AGED) BEEF?

Here are some places to enjoy dry-aged beef in Singapore

SKIRT at W Hotel (http://skirt.wsingaporesentosacove.com) introduced the first salt-lined dry-aging cabinet when it opened three years ago. It sells dry-aged steaks from Australia and Ireland, with prices starting from S$43 for a 250g Irish grass-fed tenderloin.

Opus Bar & Grill at Hilton Singapore (http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/hilton-singapore-SINHITW/dining/opus-bar-and-grill.html). It has its own Himalayan salt-lined ageing cabinet, which head chef Rene Knudsen says offers the added benefit of reducing humidity, deterring bacterial growth and infusing the meat with a whisper of salty flavour. He serves a 30-day dry-aged Australian Rangers Valley Angus OP rib eye (850g) for S$145.

The Carvery at Park Hotel Alexandra (http://www.parkhotelgroup.com/alexandra/dining-en.html). Executive chef Robert Chan dry-ages Australian prime ribs in-house, which he later sears and roasts slowly, before giving the beef a quick blast in the restaurant’s wood-fire oven. This last step gives the meat a good, blistered crust and seals the precious flavours within. It is served as part of the restaurant’s buffet, which starts from S$52 for weekday dinner.

District 10’S new bar & restaurant at Suntec City (http://www.district10.com.sg/suntec/). Here’s where group executive chef Luca Pezzera stocks his dry-ageing cabinet with cuts like grass-fed Black Angus OP Rib, which he dry-ages for 45 days, and Irish grass-fed Black Angus Rib-Eye that is dry-aged for 30 days (both S$18 per 100g).