Dry Aged Beef with Bearnaise Sauce Recipe
Dry aged beef with bearnaise sauce ingredients:
- 4 T-bone steaks (dry-aged)
- 250g unsalted butter
- 1 bunch tarragon
- 2 eschalots, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 peppercorns
- 100ml white wine vinegar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bearnaise Sauce Preparation
Melt the butter gently in a pan then remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Carefully strain the melted butter through a sieve making sure none of the milky sediment is mixed with the clear yellow butter. Leave the clarified butter somewhere warm until required.
Pick the leaves of the tarragon and set them aside, keeping stalks for infusing the vinegar. Place the chopped eschalot in a saucepan with the bay leaf and tarragon stalks. Crush the peppercorns and add to the saucepan with vinegar. Bring to the boil then reduce by half. Strain the vinegar then discard the herbs and eschalots.
Pour the reduced vinegar in a bowl with the 2 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk the eggs over a pot of simmering water until the eggs become thick and have doubled in volume, then slowly whisk in the clarified butter. Pass the sauce through a sieve then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped tarragon leaves then keep in a warm place.
Cooking Dry Aged Beef
Preheat the barbecue. Season steaks with salt and pepper then rub with vegetable oil. Place the steaks on the hot grill. Cook for 4—5 minutes on one side then turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Leave the steaks to rest for 5 to 10 minutes then serve with the bearnaise sauce.
Serves 4
Dry Aged Beef vs Wet Aged Beef
As we become more concerned with where our food comes from, we ask more questions, especially when it comes to animal products. When it comes to beef, there’s wet-aging and dry-aging.
Wet-aged beef is aged in a vacuum-sealed bag to retain moisture.
Dry-ageing is a technique that’s been used across Europe for centuries. The approach now, however, is much more scientific.
A cow carcass (dry-aging is almost exclusively applied to beef) is broken down into major muscle groups, retaining as much bone and fat as possible, which protects the meat during the process. The meat is then hung in a controlled environment for 30-40 days.
During this time, juices and flavours that would otherwise leach out of the meat are re-absorbed into the muscle fibres and locked in. When dry-aged correctly, the meat will blacken on the outside, but this is trimmed away and you’re left with a piece of beef with a dense texture and concentrated flavour.
Dry-aged beef is described as “the pinnacle of beef” and I have to agree However, this process must only be done by professionals. When buying dry-aged beef, look for its distinctive earthy, musty smell. Beef that is aged incorrectly will smell moldy and should be avoided. Good-quality butchers will stock dry-aged beef.
Due to the denser texture of dry-aged beef, the meat can take a little longer to cook than usual, so allow a little extra time. Ensure it’s brought to room temperature before cooking, and season well. Oil the meat, not the grill, with ample resting time at the completion of cooking.
One of my favorite beef cuts is the T-bone. Meat cooked on the bone is far superior to that which is not. Simple is best in terms of accompaniments. Classic bearnaise sauce fits the bill perfectly.
Tender cut: Meat cooked on the bone, like T-bone, has a superior flavor; serve it with a simple bearnaise or chimichurri sauces.
How do you age meat: Definition
Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, either the entire or half will be hung. Primal (large distinct sections) or sub-primal cuts strip loins, rib eyes, and sirloin are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a “hot box”.
Béarnaise sauce Definition
Bearnaise sauce is a sauce made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and white wine vinegar and flavored with herbs
Tarragon Definition
Plant: Tarragon is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes in many lands.
Dry-Aged Beef Items
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