Introducing Our Range of Organic Dry-Aged Steaks

We’re so excited to launch a range of organic 35 day dry-aged beef steaks - rump, fillet, rib-eye and sirloin. At The Organic Butchery, we know that the finest meat comes from animals that have lived high-welfare lives, and our organic grass-fed beef cattle produce steaks of exceptional quality. However, it’s not just about the welfare of our animals - how the meat is cared for after slaughter is just as important to the taste and quality. It’s down to our farming and butchery team to get this right and, when it comes to dry ageing steaks the process is more time consuming and a little trickier to get just right.

What Does Dry Ageing Meat Mean?

Dry-ageing, simply put, is a way of breaking down meat in a controlled environment. Our purpose-built dry-ageing cabinet is temperature and humidity-controlled, to enhance the natural flavour of the beef. Prime cuts like steak take well to this process. Keeping the meat in this type of environment (dry and a few degrees above freezing) for 35 days causes chemical and biological changes to happen. One of the most notable is dehydration - by exposing the meat to air the moisture is pulled out and the natural enzymes in the steak break the muscles down slowly over time, this makes the beef incredibly tender and concentrates the flavour.

Dry-ageing is not dissimilar to producing wine or cheese - it is a process of decay and fermentation in which the meat ages naturally and offers exceptional flavour. After our steaks are dry-aged for those 35 days, a dry crust forms on the outside of the meat (much like the rind on cheese) which helps to lock the moisture inside. Whilst we see some shrinkage with this product, we think it’s worth it for the complexity and flavour you get at the end.

Why Is Dry-Aged Steak More Expensive?

It costs that bit more for a reason. It takes a lot more time and effort to age a steak - it is also carefully monitored by our Head Butcher to ensure the meat is growing the good bacteria (which is then trimmed away). Between the additional time it takes to dry age and the moisture loss we can lose 20-30% of the weight of the meat.

What Does A Dry-Aged Steak Taste Like?

The taste is like nothing you’ve ever tried before! Steak that has been dry-aged tastes significantly beefier, similar to a rare roast beef - you’ll also find there’s more of a buttery and nutty flavour. Cut thickly, with all that delicious moisture locked in, the texture is significantly different where the chemical changes and muscle breakdown has occurred. Your teeth will be able to sink into each mouthful with ease, it’s a true melt-in-the-mouth experience.

Our Dry-Aged Meat Range

We have four different steaks within the range: sirloin, rump, rib-eye and fillet. The rump is cut from the collection of muscles in the hindquarters of the beef carcass offering rich and distinctive flavour. Our sirloin is a great choice if you like the combination of a crispy-but-melting layer of fat and moderately grained, yielding meat.

The rib-eye is taken from the fore rib of the animal, with its all-important 'eye' of the fat that melts during cooking. And lastly, the fillet steak is cut from the prized fillet - an internal muscle nestled beneath the sirloin - that gives you a truly exceptional flavour. The rump, rib-eye and sirloin come as 9oz and 12oz and the fillet comes as a 7oz. Find out more here.

How Should I Cook My Dry-Aged Steak?

We know everyone has a personal preference when it comes to cooking their steaks at home. Here are a few tried-and-tested tips from our head butcher that’ll have your steak tasting like pure perfection.

• Allow your steak to rest and reach room temperature before cooking
• Season with salt and pepper
• For a larger 12oz steak, we would advise popping it into the oven for a couple of minutes until it reaches a core temperature of approx. 35˚C
• Ensure your pan is searing hot with some oil so you get that perfect steak sizzle
• Cook for a couple of minutes on either side, depending on whether you want to serve it rare or medium
• Once the steak is cooked, baste with a knob of butter and aromatics like garlic and seasonal herbs to yield even more flavour
• Leave to rest for 5 minutes to relax the meat and settle the juices before serving

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