The dry aged beef paradox: Why dry aging is sometimes not better than wet aging

Abstract

An increasing consumer demand for a higher quality and eating experience has led to a revisit to the dry aging process. Therefore, research also focuses on the effects of different dry aging methods and aims to improve the dry aging process. However, an optimal process cannot be defined and, unfortunately, most of the dry aging results only hold true for the individual experiment. If one repeats a dry aging process in a different facility, the result might differ. The paradox is that the same dry aging process in two different ripening chambers does not inevitably contribute to equal tenderness and flavor. Since this paradox has still not been understood well, this review presents results of the most relevant dry aging studies by illustrating different process parameters and cuts. Some conclusions which may be useful to explain the paradox are derived from the literature in order to understand the crucial factors and commonalities in the dry aging process.