高級牛排館的秘密: 乾式熟成牛肉 Secret of the top steak houses: Dry aged steak
乾式熟成牛肉是既是個技術也是個藝術. 從嚴選頂級的牛排部位開始將牛肉塊儲存在溫度1-3度Ｃ 濕度控制在50% - 85% 左右讓牛肉熟成. 就像葡萄酒, 乳酪一般牛肉需要經過熟成的過程來增添風味(Flavor), 嫩度(Tenderness), 跟含汁性(Juiceness). 熟成又分乾式與濕式, 普遍在超市能買到的通常是濕式因為成本低基本沒有技術上的要求. 風味上與好吃來說差了一大截, 就好比用好的茶葉跟咖啡豆沖泡的茶與咖啡跟茶包與即溶咖啡泡出來的飲料. 並沒有哪一個比較好但就是不同.
牛在屠宰之後, 牛的肌肉逐漸變僵硬嫩度驟減, 在六到十二小時變成完全僵硬. 在這之後如果牛肉經過熟成的過程, 本身所含有的蛋白酵素開始作用，逐漸崩解牛肉的膠原組織及肌肉纖維讓牛肉自然軟化並大大地提高了牛肉的嫩度。此時屠體肌肉才又慢慢恢復柔軟，牛肉的嫩度隨著時間開始日增，至屠宰後的第十一天，牛肉的嫩度達到最佳狀態. 而風味來說乾式熟成的牛肉因接觸空氣而快速分解蛋白質、分泌酵素，使得牛肉呈現如同醇酒般的發酵風味。第十一天起，牛肉真正的風味開始孕育，隨著熟成時間的增加，風味也變的更濃郁。進入第三周之後，牛肉的表皮因為風乾型成一個殼, 肉香變的更集中、更香醇，此時的牛肉除了淡淡的發酵風味之外，還多了點「野性」的味道。 未經熟成的牛肉所烹調出來的餐點, 牛肉始終有種令人皺眉的刺鼻味也就是為什麼要用調味料去醃去燉煮. 而經過熟成後的牛肉其結果則是截然不同。
熟成牛肉昂貴有理但更有趣的事很多時候有錢也買不到. 當開始熟成由於水分被風乾, 牛肉的重量會以每七天減少百分之一至百分之一點五的比率持續脫水減重. 表皮油脂層較薄的肉. 脫水的情況比表皮油脂層較厚的肉塊更劇烈。在整個過程中，重量的減少是必然的結果. 根據研究顯示, 在攝氏零度的冷藏室中熟成十四天肉塊就損失了將近百分之十八的重量. 更加上牛肉經過乾式熟成後, 表皮層因風乾變硬無法食用必須經過清修到分割後所損矢的部位, 最後可能僅剩下原有的50到60 ％ 左右. 這也是為什麼乾式熟成牛肉向來十分昂貴的原因. 但因為整個要求的技術與時間很高, 想買很多時候也很可能買不到.
值得嗎？ 當吃到熟成牛排時你會真正體會到牛肉的風味, 不需要多餘的調味料, 鹽與胡椒就已經足夠, 加點奶油因該就是最多. 也不用擔心不小心煮太熟因為肉質已經經過熟成變得很嫩多汁. 熟成牛排當你遇見他時你會覺他好吃, 當你在下一次吃其他的牛排時你會覺得少了些什麼.
Dry aged meat is an art and science. From selecting the best graded beef to age, to storing the meat between the temperature of 1-3 degree C and controlling the humidity between 50-85% to age the meat. It is like wine and cheese, beef acquires on a special flavour, tenderness, and juiciness that is honestly quite addictive. There are dry and wet aging for beef, normally in supermarket and what is normally accessible are wet aging beef, because the cost and technical requirement to do it is much much less. The difference in my humble opinion is like comparing freshly brewed tea and coffee vs tea bag and instant coffee. Both can be exceptionally good depending on the situation and to me and my humble opinion they are just different.
After the process of butchering, the muscles of beef slowly contract and becomes tough, between 6-12 hours, it is the toughest of all time. After this if the beef go through the aging process, the enzymes within the meat itself will start to break down the muscle fibres and all the connective tissues. Only then at this time the muscles will start to relax, and the tenderness of the meat increases with time. From then on, at the 11th day, the tenderness of the meat is at its optimal level. In terms of flavor, dry aged beef, vs wet aging, by exposing to oxygen the enzymes reacts and intensives the flavor much like fine aged wine and cheese it creates the thought after complexity and aroma. The dry shell created then further intensive the flavour and acts as a barrier. This is why steak that is not aged requires marinating to tenderized, to balance out taste, or the worst to mask any unpleasant taste or smell. The million dollar question, do you taste the steak, the beef or the marinate?
Aged steak is pricy, but at the same time, sometimes it is something you cannot buy even if you have money. By the time it reaches to the end product, the moisture loss by weight and trims is probably 50-60% of what it begins with. The whole process itself is such an art and science, I hope it will never becomes another dying art. Is it worthwhile? The thing about aged steak is when you eat it, you will definitely know it is different, and the next time when you eat another steak without any marinating you will feel its bland and tough…something is missing.
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