Himalayan Pink Salt
Pink Himalayan rock salt is one of the most powerful natural elements and it is enriched with minerals and nutrients. The unique taste, purity, and nutrients present in it are the causes for its numerous uses worldwide. Dry aging meat is one of the applications of Himalayan pink salt. Himalayan pink rock salt is used to preserve different kinds of food in ancient times due to its regenerating and healing nature.
In past, people used this natural mineral to preserve meat, pickles and fish. But the method of using it for dry-aging meat is updated. Nowadays, the top restaurants all over the world season their foods with Himalayan salt to develop a mouthwatering and appetizing taste. Furthermore, they use pink salt to preserve meat by the phenomenon of dry aging.
Let’s see a brief explanation of what Himalayan pink salt tiles is. It is a natural salt extracted from the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan. The pink salt is pure, organic and unrefined than all other varieties of salt present worldwide. It holds 84 essential elements and trace minerals that include calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, potassium, sodium, copper and many more. These minerals give Himalayan salt an attractive peach color and make it a wholesome ingredient.
What is Dry Aging?
It is a phenomenon by which large pieces of meat are put in a managed environment for a specific time before slicing it into steaks or smaller pieces. This method not only keeps the meat fresh but also gives a unique flavor and aroma.
Dry aging salt bricks are the translucent orange or pink bricks of Himalayan salt that are utilized for dry-aging beef or meat. They create a tempting taste and tenderize the meat. The Himalayan dry-aging salt bricks are used to build a salt dry-aging room. You can also place a dry-aging salt block in your refrigerator to age your meat.
Himalayan salt dry-aging room
It is a room or a chamber that has Himalayan salt bricks to undergo the dry-aging method. The pink salt develops a perfect environment for the preservation of meat or beef by eliminating the humidity from the surrounding environment. There is no production of bacteria in the humidity-free surroundings. This process enhances the taste of the meat by adding saltiness to it. The beef becomes tender due to the breaking of enzymes that relaxes its muscle fibers.
How Himalayan salt dry-aging room works?
The dry Aging room with controlled temperature gives perfect dry-aged beef by carrying out the following processes:
REMOVING MOISTURE
The salty atmosphere of the Himalayan salt dry-aging room with low moisture level removes the excess moisture from beef.
TENDERIZING
The atmosphere of the salt aging room is suitable and allows necessary chemical reactions to take place. The breakdown of protein fibers or enzymes happen which results in tenderizing the beef.
INHIBITING THE GROWTH OF UNWANTED BACTERIA
Himalayan pink salt produce a naturally antibacterial environment in the aging room. This environment avoids the growth of bacteria, and the beef stays fresh for a long time with no spoilage.
The ionizing property of the Himalayan salt results in the development of an environment with balanced ions. Also, there is no unpleasant smell inside the room; the environment is nice and fresh.
Butchers use Himalayan pink salt walls or dry-aging rooms to preserve the meat for a long time. With a unique taste and tempting flavor, hotels and restaurants are also popular for serving steaks of Himalayan salt-aged meat worldwide.
How do you dry-age beef with Himalayan Salt?
In a Himalayan salt dry-aging room or chamber, the process of dry-aging meat takes place by putting its pieces in the room for 7 to 60 days. The longer you keep hanging beef in the aging room, the more it is tender and flavorful. However, the time you should age the meat also based on your preferred taste and the cuts you are using.
The best dry-aging of meat or beef requires the necessary equipment, environment and time. However, it does not necessarily require Himalayan pink salt dry-aging rooms or chambers. You can do it at your home without effort. Only a few things are required to enjoy the mouth-watering and appetizing taste of homemade steaks. Dry age the meat steaks or slices with Himalayan dry-aging salt blocks at home by following simple steps:
Things you want!
- Meat pieces
- Pure Himalayan pink salt block
- A compact stainless fridge with big racks (optional)
- Cooling containers of Stainless steel
- A moving or rotating Fan
First, clean the meat piece or steak then place it on the Himalayan salt blocks. Preferably, you should put the block in the cooling container before placing it in the fridge. The purpose of the tray is to absorb seeping. Otherwise, you can also place the block directly on your fridge rack.
Remember! If you are utilizing your home refrigerator for the dry aging process, do not forget to draw out all other food items from it. That is because meat may not soak up the odor of other food items.
After putting the salt block in the fridge, switch on the moving fan with its setting on low. The dry aging process of meat is now begun.
In general, it takes minimum 30 days before you can have some added dry-aged taste in the meat or beef steak. So wait for a month if you wish to have little tenderness with a tempting flavor. A period of six weeks is best for the incredible dry-aged taste of steak. Wait for eight or more weeks if you desire to have a burst of flavor, aroma and mouth-watering taste in your meat steaks.
It is ok to examine the beef or meat from time to time. But keep in mind that opening the refrigerator, again and again, can affect the pink salt dry aging process. It can also result in the soaking of smell from the external environment by the beef or meat steaks.