Can I request custom cuts?

At Apple Family Farm we love nothing more than to get requests for custom cuts.  It reveals a love and passion for food that we appreciate in our customers.  We butcher beef and lamb every three weeks so you won't have to wait long for your custom cut. One of the most frequent request we have for "custom cutting" is with regard to the thickness of the steak.  We can cut any steak to any thickness.

We will try to accommodate other custom cutting requests as well as we can. The best way to see if your needs can be met is to discuss it with Mark or Debbie.  You can reach us at 317-335-3067.

What is dry aging?

In times past, dry aging was used as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration was invented. These days, with the urgent demand for quickly fattened, convenient beef, dry-aging has become a thing of the past.  On the part of the butcher, it takes time, space and a special know-how.  On our part it means slowing down the process to an even greater degree and losing as much as 20% of our beef.  Dry-aging takes time and it’s an expensive, labor-intensive process.

In the dry-aging process, the beef is held in coolers under tight temperature, air-circulation, and humidity controls. The natural action of the enzymes break down connective tissue to rendering beef that is fork-tender with a genuine beefy flavor.

When aged for up to 21 days, the beef’s appearance changes as well. Within the dry-aging room, the beef will develop a crust that seals the meat and protects it from deterioration. The beef can lose from 25 to 30 percent of its overall weight to dehydration during the aging process. This accounts for the considerably smaller size of the cuts as well as the slightly higher cost.

As an true test of quality, the length of dry aging is important to know. A piece of beef that has been aged only seven days can still be labeled "dry-aged." However, such a short amount of time does not permit the full development of flavor and tenderness that dry aging for up to four weeks provides.

Aging produces beef that is naturally tender and flavorful. Nothing the cook does to add flavor in the kitchen is a substitute for starting with properly aged meat. After about three weeks of dry aging, beef reaches its peak tenderness and taste.

Are all your meats dry aged?

Apple Family Farm dry ages all of its Scottish Highland beef to perfection by holding them in coolers at a temperature of 34 to 38°F. We age beef for twenty one days. To dry age beef it must remain on the bone. Beef not connected to a bone (hanger steak, for example) cannot be dry-aged. Veal and lamb are young, delicate, and tender, and are hung in our butcher's coolers for no more than a week.

What is the difference between dry aging and wet aging?

There are two types of aging: dry aging and wet aging. Dry aging is the choice of the discriminating chef. The wet aging process involves sealing meat in airtight Cryovac bags. Wet aging does less to enhance flavor and tenderness than dry aging.