Aged beef

Aged beef has gained much popularity in recent years in Spain, becoming popularized more and more in specialized steakhouses and restaurants. 

At first glance, a piece of aged beef appears in its outermost part as if it was passed or rotten, but once the outer crust is removed it reveals its great interior, with a red and smooth meat, with an excellent infiltration of fat. Its unique taste is well worth all those who like red meat. 

This meat is obtained by means of a novel and complex method that allows to age the meat for short periods of 30 days until periods that depending on the part and the animal can extend until 365 days. 

Usually the most common aging process is on dry, although in the United States is very common wet aging, which takes less time and the decrease in the product is minimal, being economically much more profitable. 

On dry, the product experiences a decrease of almost one fifth of its initial weight, due to evaporation and the removal of the most superficial crust of the piece being it discarded. 

Dry aging is done mostly in quality and big-size pieces and requires a complex process of aging control, while wet aging is much shorter and easier to perform and does not require large controls. 

Basically the ripening process manages to improve meat quality in two ways: 

1. By evaporating the remaining humidity in the animal's muscles, which concentrates the flavor of the meat. 

2. By the action of the endogenous enzymes naturally present in beef meat. These enzymes are responsible for disintegrating the fibers of the muscle and confer a tenderness to the meat that gives a much softer texture.