Matt Moran reveals why dry-aged beef cuts makes the mouth water

Slow-braised and tender in the chillier months, quickly barbecued in summer, or sometimes served even raw – think carpaccio, kibbeh and tartare – there’s a lot to love about the versatility of meat.

Increasingly, as consumers we’re becoming more aware of where our meat comes from. How it’s raised and the ethical treatment of livestock is a big deal, and rightly so.

Have you ever thought about how the meat is treated after slaughter? It’s worth considering all the time, effort and care that’s gone into getting this far.

Beef is a good case in point. Much of what’s sold is wet aged – that is, it’s vacuum sealed in plastic to retain its moisture. It’s a quick process, as little as a few days, and there’s no development of flavour.

Alternatively, there’s the dry- ageing process, where whole carcasses or primal cuts are hung in a refrigerated, humidity-controlled, UV-lit, near-freezing environment in order to evaporate moisture from the muscle, creating a deeper, more intense flavour. At the same time, natural enzymes begin to break down the beef’s connective tissue, resulting in very tender meat. The longer the beef ages, the more interesting the texture. It becomes dense and intense. Better flavour and texture – what’s not to love?

The only downside to this equation is cost. Only the best quality beef can be treated this way, as it’s important the meat has an evenly distributed fat content. So from the get-go, we’re talking an increased price. Add in the fact that as the beef ages, it shrinks, while the surfaces exposed to air develop a kind of crust, which is trimmed off and discarded when the meat is butchered into smaller cuts. Factor in the time invested – anywhere from 20 to 80 days – it all adds up.

So when we’re talking about dry-aged beef, it isn’t a budget option. But when you cut into a well-cooked, well-rested, dry-aged steak … in my opinion, it’s worth every last cent.

Dry-ageing is a precise and exacting process best done by professionals, so go to a good butcher. Once it’s in your hot little hands, treat it simply and whatever you do, don’t overcook it.

Bring it to room temperature before you start (this will take about an hour) and factor in plenty of resting time too. I’ve opted to enhance the flavour with butter, garlic, rosemary and lemon, but really, it’s all about that amazing meat. It is, quite simply, a cut above.

INGREDIENTS

● 1 kg dry aged T bone

● 5 cloves garlic, crushed

● 5 sprigs Rosemary

● 100 g salted butter

● 2 lemons, cut into wedges

● Sea salt & pepper

1: Pre heat oven to 200°C. Approximately 1 hour prior to cooking the steaks bring the beef out of the fridge and leave to come to room temperature; this will give you a more even cooking temperature.

2: Heat a fry pan big enough to hold the steak over a high heat. Season the steak with a generous amount of sea salt and freshly milled pepper and then rub the seasonings into the meat. Place the steak in the hot fry pan on the fat side and hold it there for a minutes or so, this will render some of the fat from the beef, once the fat has browned carefully place on one side and fry for about 2 minutes, turn the steak over it should have a nice brown crust on the beef, fry again for another 2 minutes then place the pan in the pre heated oven and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the beef over, return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.

3: Remove the beef from the oven and this time stand up on the bone and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. The beef should have had a total of 15 minutes cooking in the oven by now. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a burner and add the salted butter, crushed garlic and rosemary sprigs. Allow the butter to foam in the pan and using a spoon baste the butter over the meat to impart the flavour of the rosemary and garlic into the meat. Remove the beef from the fry pan and place onto a wire rack set over a tray. Pour the butter, herbs and garlic from the pan and leave in a warm area to rest for 10 minutes.

4: Once the beef has rested cut away the fillet and sirloin from the bone and carve into slices, arrange with the bone on a warm serving plate. Spoon a little of the meat juices over the beef and serve with cheeks of lemon alongside of the beef.

MATT MORAN IS CO-OWNER/CHEF OF ARIA RESTAURANT, 1 MACQUARIE ST, EAST CIRCULAR QUAY, 9252 2555; CHISWICK RESTAURANT, 65 OCEAN ST, WOOLLAHRA, 8388 8688; CHISWICK AT THE GALLERY, THE DOMAIN, 9225 1819; NORTH BONDI FISH, 120 RAMSGATE AVE, NORTH BONDI, 9130 2155; MATTMORAN.COM.AU