IntroductiontotheculinaryconceptThe

IntroductiontotheculinaryconceptThe timehonouredwaytoagebeefistodryageitA veryoftenmistakeisusingpackagingforagingbeef.In fact,sealingbeefisindeednotagingit,butpreservingit.From ourpointofview,thereisnodiscernibleimprove-ment inflavourofthisbeef.Asamatteroffacttheoppositeoccursandthequalityisdiminished.Thebeefwillalways haveadryingtextureonthepalate,asortofliverishcardboardflavour.So whatmakesdryagingsogoodandwhathappenstothemeat overtime?It iswellknowntherearetwomainfactorswhichaffectmeat throughouttime,flavourandtexture.Thefirstfactoris reasonablywelldocumentedinHarold McGee's(2004)book 'Food&Cooking'(2004).Inthisbook,hestatesthatthe actionofenzymesontheproteinchangescharacter-istics, flavourandtexture.Oncetheanimalisslaughteredand thecontrolsystemsinitscellsstopfunctioning,theenzymes beginattackingothercellmoleculesindiscrimi-nately, turninglargeflavourlessmoleculesintosmaller,flavourful fragments.Theybreakproteinsintosavouryamino acidsandfatsandfatlikemembranemoleculesintoaromatic fattyacids.Allofthesebreakdownproductscontributetotheintenselymeaty,nuttyflavourofagedmeat. Duringcooking,thesameproductsalsoreactwitheach othertoformnewmoleculesthatenrichthearomafurther.The secondfactoraffectingmeatovertimeisthatthemuscle enzymesalsodiminishtoughness.Themajorcandidatetoexplaintenderisationpost-rigouristheenzyme calledcalpain(Hopkins andThompson,2002).This enzymemainlyweakensthesupportingproteinsthathold thecontractingfilamentsinplace.Equallyitappearsthat otherenzymeshavearoleintenderisation.In conclusion,itiswellknownthatenzymeactivityinmeat goesonforabout14orsodays.However,whatishappening afterthat?Thatisthepeculiarityandwheredoes theimprovementinflavourcomefrom?Thisisalittleless impressivelydocumented.Traditionally,dryagingwould takeplaceforabout28–35days.Atthispointtheview isthatthemeathasreacheditspotential,thebalance

Introductiontotheculinaryconcept
The. Timehonouredwaytoagebeefistodryageit
A. Veryoftenmistakeisusingpackagingforagingbeef.
In. ,, fact sealingbeefisindeednotagingit butpreservingit.
From. Ourpointofview, the thereisnodiscernibleimprove -
ment. Inflavourofthisbeef.Asamatteroffactthe

, oppositeoccursandthequalityisdiminished.Thebeefwill always Haveadryingtextureonthepalate asortof
, liverishcardboardflavour.
.So whatmakesdryagingsogoodandwhathappenstothe
meat overtime?
It iswellknowntherearetwomainfactorswhichaffect
meat. Throughouttime flavourandtexture.Thefirstfactor
is,, ReasonablywelldocumentedinHarold McGee 's (2004)
book. 'Food & Cooking' (2004). Inthisbook hestatesthat
the,, Actionofenzymesontheproteinchangescharacter -
istics,, Flavourandtexture.Oncetheanimalisslaughtered
.And, thecontrolsystemsinitscellsstopfunctioning the
enzymes. Beginattackingothercellmoleculesindiscrimi -
Nately,, Turninglargeflavourlessmoleculesintosmaller
flavourful,, Fragments.Theybreakproteinsintosavoury
amino. Acidsandfatsandfatlikemembranemoleculesinto
aromatic. Fattyacids.Allofthesebreakdownproducts

meat Duringcooking, contributetotheintenselymeaty nuttyflavourofaged,.Thesameproductsalsoreactwith
each. Further othertoformnewmoleculesthatenrichthearoma
.
The. Secondfactoraffectingmeatovertimeisthatthe
muscle. Enzymesalsodiminishtoughness.Themajor

enzyme candidatetoexplaintenderisationpost-rigouristhe calledcalpain (Hopkins, andThompson 2002).
This. Enzymemainlyweakensthesupportingproteinsthat
hold. Thecontractingfilamentsinplace.Equallyitappears
.That otherenzymeshavearoleintenderisation.
In. Conclusion itiswellknownthatenzymeactivityin
meat,, Goesonforabout14orsodays.However whatis
happening,, Afterthat? Thatisthepeculiarityandwhere
does. Theimprovementinflavourcomefrom? Thisisalittle
less. Impressivelydocumented.Traditionally dryaging
would,, Takeplaceforabout28 - 35days.Atthispointthe
view. ,, isthatthemeathasreacheditspotential thebalance