How to make
To prepare tender and tasty beef or veal, a key factor is the breed and the quality of the meat itself. Choose a selected breed such as Black Angus/Aberdeen Angus. It is best if the meat has aged, ie it has undergone a process in which the collagen in it has disappeared (this happens during the aging process) and the muscle fibers are relaxed, so that it is tender and juicy. That also enhances and develops its rich taste.
If your beef or veal is fresh, you can leave it to age at home and the dry-aging you will need a special display case (sold in stores). It is placed there at a strictly defined temperature (2 to 4 degrees) and humidity (58-80%). It can be placed in the fridge, but it's quite risky there, as the temperature and humidity can vary.
The meat must be wrapped in clean towels and placed on a rack, so that it does not come into contact with the liquid it releases (in the display case, it is usually hung on a hook). The towels are changed every day and the time it needs to age depends on the breed, age and size of the piece of meat.
It is recommended, that it has fat. If they are individual cutlets, which have been already cut, the time they will need to age is short - 48 hours. For large whole pieces, it can take up to several weeks, but under the specified conditions. Before consumption, the darkened and hardened edges are cut, the aspect of which should not bother you, because the meat is superb on the inside.
There is also wet-aging, which happens in a shorter amount of time, as the meat is vacuumed after it is well washed and dried and it is left that way for several days, again depending on the size of the steaks, type and breed.
Before cooking, in addition to cleaning it well, the cutlets should stand 2-3 hours at room temperature, covered with cling film to prevent air from entering. In case you are going to marinate them, as we do in this recipe, then spread them generously beforehand in a mixture of olive oil, honey, black pepper, soy sauce and a little lemon. Keep in mind that without the marinade such meat is excellent and does not need additional flavoring. That is why we do not use almost any spices, which can overshadow its taste.
My recommendation is to buy ready-made aged veal or dry aged beef.
The grill is lit at least 30 minutes in advance. Charcoal is used only of vegetable origin and a good amount of them, even if you are making only two steaks.
The grill gate should be V-shaped and it should be slightly inclined. This way, the fat released during roasting drains out of the fire and does not fall on it, so that it doesn't ignite the fire or smoke the meat unpleasantly.
Place the grill gate in the lowest possible position above the coals and heat it as much as possible, then place the cutlets and seal them on both sides for 4 minutes. Sprinkle them coarse salt, only on the already sealed side! Then turn them over for another 5-8 minutes on each side, depending on how you want them cooked and the thickness of the cutlets.
The ideal one is 1.6″ (4 cm). The end result should be 3 colors when cut. Dark brown on the outside, followed by a layer of brownish-pink and red on the inside. The red color does not mean that the meat is raw. It has reached the required temperature and it is cooked, although some people love it and very rare, when you cook the cutlets several times in this way, you will figure out how you like your meat cooked most.
When serving, sprinkle them with more flaky salt and serve them in the company of potatoes, fresh salad and good red wine.
Enjoy your meal!
