This week I brought you a matured beef, a “Minuten steak” to be precise. This name refers to a thin slice of quick-cooked steak, usually served on the flat back tendonor from the combthey cut from. In this case, I managed to obtain a matured meat.
What is aged beef?
The maturation itself is a kind of pickling, but no additional additives are added. Maturing is simply done “hanging” or on shelves, in a cool, dry place, with air circulation. This ensures that, on the one hand, the meat matures and softens and, on the other hand, is safe to eat and does not spoil. Traditionally, it is kept for 21 days, or 3 weeks. This makes it much more expensive than traditional beef. It requires a separate shelf, space and temperature.
But why is cured meat better? During curing, biochemical processes take place in the structure of the meat that not only make it more tender, but also give it a deeper flavour. The colour of matured meat is much darker, browner and reddish.
I seared my steak in clarified butter in a hot pan, cooked both sides for 2 minutes. I peppered, salted and basted constantly. For a side dish burgonyanudliwhich I tossed with a little bear's onion paste and breadcrumbs while baking. For decoration I used cabbage powder, sprouts and edible flowers.
For the potato pasta:
500 g potatoes type “c” (yellow skin, floury)
1 egg yolk
as much strudel flour as you can absorb
Cook the potatoes from the skin up and, while still hot, press them through a potato ricer, spread them out on a large tray to evaporate any remaining moisture. Leave to cool.
Then add the egg yolks, salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour. You should get a well kneadable mass that you can use to make small noodles or other shapes.
Boil in boiling water, leave to cool and when serving, brush with hot butter. Here I sautéed it with bear's onion pesto. Then sprinkled with the breadcrumbs.
The bear's onion crumb:
50 g flour
30 g butter
1 tablespoon bear's onion pesto
a pinch of salt
Mix everything together and bake in a 180 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until crumbly. In the meantime, stir occasionally.
Bear's onion pesto:
Fresh leaves are blended with olive oil after blanching and put in jars, so they will keep in the fridge for up to 1 year.
