TEXT PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTION

MERYL KOH TAN WEI TE DENISE REI LOW Whiskies might be doing away with age labels these days, but steakhouses, and now upscale supermarkets, remain firm believers of the adage “better with age”.

To be sure, dry-aged beef is nothing new. The process harks back to our primitive roots where carcasses were left out to dry, then salted and cured to extend shelf life. But thanks to technology, the hardware is much fancier now, and gourmet grocers here are selling the visual appeal. At upscale Japanese supermarket Emporium Shokuhin, for instance, an all-glass chiller cabinet displays rows of hunky loins covered in a snow-like mould.

If this all sounds a bit funky, think of it as chemistry at work. Given time and kept in a controlled climate, the meat’s enzymes will break down proteins into amino acids, among which is glutamate – key to producing the intense umami juices loved by many.

In the 1970s, the introduction of vacuum packaging allowed beef to be wet-aged, a process where meat is sealed and kept in a bag. Both techniques share the same science, but the flavours produced differ.

“In dry-ageing, there is no protective packaging around the meat so moisture evaporates from the muscle to create a greater concentration of flavour,” says Andre Huber, executive director of Huber’s Butchery.

“The less expensive alternative to this is wetageing. But, because there is hardly any moisture loss, you get minimal concentration of flavour. And, if the beef is left too long in its own juices, it starts to taste a little sour,” he continues.

Paul Sailor, master butcher at Swiss Butchery, compares dry-aged beef to the likes of wine, cheese and even vinegar. “The flavours get more intense as you age them and itself is an art,” he says. Still, Sailor cautions against dry-ageing beef for longer than 30 days.