Everything You Need To Know About Wet-Aged Steaks, According To Chefs

What is wet aged steak? Does it taste better and can you do it at home? Here’s what some of the finest steak chefs around have to say about this cutting edge aging process. Dry aged steak is all the rage right now, appearing on the menus of some of the world’s top steakhouses. But what about wet aged steak? This more modern process stands out from dry aging in a number of ways. Rather than relying on an aerated space to promote moisture loss and enzyme activity as dry aging does, wet aging takes place in a sous video to sealed plastic bag. This bag is held under refrigeration for a few days or even a couple of weeks with the goal of improving the meats flavor and texture. The wet aging process involves the chemical breakdown of the meats muscles, resulting in a more control flavor. For Amy Morton, owner operator of AMD P, the question of whether to choose dry or wet aged steak is down to personal preference, she tells Mashed. To me, it’s not about what’s appropriate, it’s about the flavor profile and price point someone is looking for. The best way to choose between these aging methods, then, is to understand the difference between them. Wet aging essentially works by controlling the breakdown process that beef undergoes naturally, beginning at the moment of slaughter. Yes, science KD Flannery, 1/2 of the father daughter pair behind Flannery beef, explains. After slaughter, there is no energy source for cells, the animal’s tissue can no longer maintain homeostasis, and essentially the lack of blood flow is what turns muscle into meat. At this point, the enzymes begin to do the work to breakdown protein and send you in the meat much as they would when dry aging, Flannery says. Because those chemical reactions are taking place within the muscles, they don’t care if the primal is kept in a vacuum sealed environment or kept in a cooler exposed to air. This process continues for as long as the enzymes responsible for the breakdown remain alive. Once they die off, the steak is wet aged to perfection and should be quite a bit more tender than its fresh counterpart. Wet aging can be done for a wide range of time with a minimum of about 14 days, while dry aging is typically done for a minimum of 30 days and may stretch to several months. It’s possible to wet age for as many as 28 to 36 days. But don’t go assuming that the longer you wet age, the more tender your steak will become. Katie Flannery says this is far from the case. She explains it’s not a linear process. Eventually, the process halts all together because the enzymes responsible for the breakdown die off. Most studies, she says, show that softer cuts like rib eye, New York strip or filet will improve for about 28 days or so after a month change has proven to be minimal and therefore not worth the time or space required. And that’s not the only reason you don’t want to wet aged beef for too long, Flannery says. The other concern with longer periods of wet aging is that you will see a buildup of lactic acid when the meat is in a vacuum sealed package for extended periods of time, and this can contribute A metallic or slightly sour under note to the flavor of the meat. Wet aging and dry aging also differ as far as the ideal temperature is concerned. Wet aging is ideally done at the temperature of a typical fridge, which is usually around 28 to 35°F. Dry aging, meanwhile, is best carried out at slightly higher temperatures. Chef Debbie Gold, executive chef and partner at AMDP, claims a range between 34 to 41° is best. Of course there is some wiggle room. Executive Chef Andrew Lim of Chicago’s Parrilla Korean American Fare narrows the field slightly, saying that wet aging should take place at approximately 30 to 35 Fahrenheit and dry aging between 34 and 40 Fahrenheit. It’s also possible for them to happen at the same temperature. For Katie Flannery, the most important thing is that either technique be used below 44.6° to prevent the development of dangerous bacteria like E coli, because we all know what that means. I did not sleep for one second last night and I cracked the bottom of the toilet bowl. God don’t say that. Noting that the difference in temperature will not change the chemical wet aging process, she says it’s ultimately up to the supplier what temperature to keep their coolers at as long as it’s below that threshold. As opposed to dry aged beef, which loses weight as it ages, wet aged beef retains its full weight during the process. This, Katie Flannery says, is due to the anaerobic environment in which it takes place. She explains there is no way to lose moisture like you do in dry aging. It’s trapped in the bag. This moisture retention is perhaps the most important difference between the two processes, and contributes notably to the dramatic price discrepancy between dry and wet aged beef. Flannery gives the example of a 20 LB bone in rib eye which will lose about 10% of its weight to evaporation alone, and even more when it’s trimmed before selling or serving, she says. After the moisture and trim loss incurred from dry aging, you effectively paid $14.28 per pound, not $10 per pound. And that’s not the only reason dry aged beef is more expensive. Since it takes place at a higher temperature, dry aging incurs more risks and the potential for expensive losses. As a result, the price of the product is far higher than that of wet aged beef, which is much more accessible for most. Dry aged beef is known for taking on slightly funkier flavors, which can range from musty or almost cheese like to nutty and earthy. But this flavor transformation doesn’t happen with wet aged steak, which retains A fresher flavor. Since most beef sold in the US is wet aged, these flavors are far more familiar to most consumers. Indeed, if wet aged beef undergoes a flavor change, it’s usually a bad sign, Katie Flannery explains. In dry aging, the flavor changes mostly due to two things, the evaporation of moisture from within the meat and microbial growth on the exterior of the meat. She notes that the longer 1 dry ages a steak, the more intense these flavors will become. When a wet aged steak changes flavor, it’s mainly due to the build up of lactic acid, which can give it metallic or off flavors. On the contrary, properly wet aged steak just tastes more like itself, according to Amy Morton. She says dry aging changes the flavor, some would say enhances, others exaggerates. Wet aging is the ultimate in setting the true beef flavor profile and bringing it to life. Wet aging may not transform a cut of beef’s flavor much, but it does have an effect on its texture. In short, wet aging is a matter of tenderness. This is because the enzyme breakdown of the protein leads to a much more tender piece of meat. But for Katie Flannery, it’s important not to ascribe dramatic powers to this process. While the cellular breakdown certainly tenderizes meet a bit, it only enhances a cuts tenderness to a certain degree, she says. Wet aging isn’t a magic solution that will turn a tough cut into a tender cut. No amount of wet aging will turn a cut from the top sirloin into something as tender as the filet mignon steak. With this in mind, the steaks that most benefit from wet aging are ones that are already on the tender side, Flannery explains. Cuts that tend to be much tougher by nature, though they will tenderize slightly through the wet aging process, will still ultimately end up being categorized as tough and might not make the added time required worth it. For Amy Morton, this is far from a bad thing. On the contrary, wet aging’s effect on texture is similar to its effect on flavor, magnifying the qualities already present, she says. To me, it protects the texture. It is what we imagine when we think of the perfect bite. Given the added flavor that dry aging imparts on meat, a dry aged steak is usually best without any flourishes or additions, and that means sauces, Amy Morton says. As a dry aged cut has a pungency, the sauce would need to stand up to it. James Wright, executive chef at CLAW, says that the more robust flavor of dry aged meat is a more difficult pair with assertive flavors like those present in many classic steak sauces. And Katie Flannery agrees. She says, personally, I believe dry aged steak should be paired with nothing more than simple seasonings to allow the flavors developed during the dry aging process to really take center stage. A bit of salt is all you really need to make a good dry aged steak shine. So when should you stir up a classic steak sauce with a wet aged steak? Of course. Wet aged steaks innate neutral flavor means that they marry particularly well with added flavors like those imparted by sauces, Flannery adds. Since the point of wet aging would be to enhance tenderness rather than develop flavor, wet aged steaks are more of a blank canvas that can be paired with a myriad of sauces. Seen as wet aged steaks pair better with flavorful sauces than dry aged, it should come as no surprise that they also fare well with cooking methods that impart more flavor. I’ll fire up the grill, James Wright explains. Wet aged steaks are better with cooking styles like grilling and smoking, as the steak has a milder flavor than its dry aged counterpart, so the grill and smoke flavor are easier to impart on the cut of meat. But outdoor cooking methods aren’t the only ones that show off wet aged steak to its best advantage. Slow cooking is a great way to prepare wet aged meat and larger roasts like Prime rib. Farewell with this technique, too. That said, some experts say that there’s no real reason to draw a line between dry and wet aged steak when it comes to the method of preparation, Andrew Lim says. I personally haven’t found a noticeable difference in how you prepare the steaks. You can achieve great flavor and peak deliciousness as long as you understand the proper technique. One difference you may encounter in cooking dry and wet aged steak is how you can determine doneness. A dry aged steak has less moisture than a wet aged one and as such it may not respond as well to a simple finger test. The time honored way of testing steak for doneness. The idea is simple. If you touch the fleshy part at the base of your thumb with your hand opened and relaxed, the texture should feel not that dissimilar to that of a raw steak. If you touch your thumb and index finger together and touch the same part of your hand with your other finger, you’ll have an idea of what rare meat will feel like. Touch your thumb to your middle finger and you’ll have medium rare and continue to your ring finger or pinky if you’re looking for medium or well done, respectively. Dry aged steak doesn’t respond the same way to this tactile test. However, Katie Flannery says it can be tricky to determine the doneness of steaks if you aren’t using a thermometer, because the more moisture that has been removed from the steak during the dry aging process, the more firm the steak will become. This basically means that if you poke a dry aged steak with a finger, you can easily be tricked into believing it’s finished when it’s not dry. Aging is typically done by professionals, though some tech minded home cooks have started trying it at home. That said, while it’s possible to do so, dry aging beef at home requires quite a bit of investment. Katie Flannery explains it should be done in a dedicated fridge with additional airflow and some type of temperature monitoring control to ensure safe temperatures throughout the entire process. She also adds that more unique flavors of dry aged beef can only be obtained using molds that take a long time to develop an aging coolers. On the contrary, wet aging at home can be much easier if you already own a vacuum sealer. All you need to do is vacuum seal your steak in a bag and keep it in your home refrigerator at its normal temperature. Be sure to check it every few days, however, to ensure that it’s still got an airtight seal, James Wright warns. If it’s not, it needs to be resealed airtight or used as an unaged meat. If this step is not done, at best it can lead to unpleasant flavored meat. At worst, it becomes rancid and inedible. When done properly, you can reap all of the benefits of a tender steak that tastes even meatier than its unaged counterparts.