Burt Blank
Legendary Member
Dry aged. In the UK prior to my heart attack,I bought my beef from an small independent abattoir in Warrington. For steak I would buy what they called a "choice cut" ie the rump, sirloin and fillet on the bone. I would pay for it "wet" or one day old. It would then be hung for 38 days. The weight dropped quite a lot. I was not bothered about cost it was the flavor that mattered. After I took it home and butchered the piece, the actual cost of the individual cuts was about 60% of retail. That was not including the trimmings that went into burgers and the bone that went into the stock pot.
Wet aged. I would on occasion buy imported South American whole fillet steak from Makro. They pack it fresh (wet) and then it ages on the ship coming over.
All beef that is slaughtered in the UK is hung initially to drain the blood. The abattoir the cuts the carcass in half to transport it to high street butchers or prep butchers who work for Supermarkets and restaurant suppliers. They hang it. The con is that a 7 day aged steak contains more myoglobin and moisture than a 28 day cut. The profit is in the moisture. I would guess this high street delivery has been "dry aged" for about 4/7 days. The butcher will hang it in his chill room for the length of time his customers like or he can get away with.