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ByDonnaMaurillo mdesjardins@santacruzsenti- nel.com @santacruzfood on Twitter You'veheardofagedbeef. But what does it mean? Is the steer older? Is the meat processed a special way? When beef is first cut, it doesn't have much flavor. But as cuts of beef sit in the open air of a butcher's cold locker, enzymes in the meat break down the mus- cle fibers to make it signifi- cantly more tender. The lon- ger it sits, the more tender it becomes. This is called dry aging. It's an expensive process because it takes time — two to four weeks. Because the meat surface becomes dry and discolored, it must be cut away before the beef can be sold. That can be a lot of waste. With dry aging, water evaporates from the meat, so each cut can lose about 30 percent of its weight, thereby increasing the price per pound. Typically, you'll find this kind of beef only in fine steak houses or spe- cialty markets. Supermarkets also age beef, but they use a wet-ag- ing process. The beef is vac- uum-wrapped in plastic and allowed to sit only a couple of days. No water is lost, so the price per pound re- mains stable. There's a huge difference between wet-aged and dry- aged beef. The first type has a watery flavor and a chewy texture, though it's certainly fine for home use. The dry-aged meat has a richer, beefier flavor, and it almost melts in your mouth. This is why restau- rant steaks almost always taste better than what you cook at home. Canyouageitat home? You can easily find in- structions about dry-aging beef at home. But I don't know that I'd try it my- self. First, your refrigera- tor must be really, really clean. If it has any mold, the spores could land on the meat and spoil it. You also must control for humidity (keep it at about 60 percent), and you must ensure the temperature re- mains between 32 and 36 degrees. That means opening the door can destabilize it. You could, however, use a small dorm-type refrigerator, keep the door closed on the meat for five days, and see how it works out. But again, you're prob- ably better off buying aged beef from a high- end market or just or- dering it at a good steak house. Contact Donna Maurillo at sentinelfood@maurillo. com. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Agingbeefanage-oldprocess 'BAREFOOTCONTESSA' Aged beef isn't necessary to have tender short ribs like these. It's all in the cooking. Dry aging can drastically improve the flavor of meat CONTRIBUTED When beef is first cut, it doesn't have much flavor. But as cuts of beef sit in the open air of a butcher's cold locker, enzymes in the meat break down the muscle fibers to make it significantly more tender. By Glenn Hoffman Special to the Marin Indepen- dent Journal Two ingredients will change your life: cabbage and salt. Nervous novices and fervent fermentistas can read "Fermented Vege- tables" by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey (375 pages, Storey Publishing, $24.95; 213 recipes) to get the low-down on putting up krauts, kimchis, brined pickles, chutneys, relishes and pastes. The Shockeys provide concise chapters on the science and tools of fermenting. Step-by- step descriptions and vi- sual guides are vital before moving on to the A-to-Z recipe section from aru- gula kimchi to zucchini kraut. I wanted to see addi- tional cross-references by relative batch size and fer- mentation type. As a nervous novice, I took the Shockeys' advice and started with their na- ked kraut recipe and those life-changing ingredients. Given the presence of a sizable bowl and my handy Vitamix tamper, the only equipment purchases I needed were 2-quart can- ning jars and 1-quart Zip- loc bags. Closely follow- ing instructions, check- ing and rechecking, I had a surprisingly sweet, mildly pickle-y half-gal- lon of kraut to transfer to the fridge after eight days. Then it was on to the real recipes, because there are only so many veggie frank- furters and Tofurkey sau- sages this vegan wants to load up with tasty kraut. Part four has 86 recipes for every meal of the day, plus snacks, desserts, and cocktails. Tempeh Reuben is an open-faced comfort food delight. Caraway-stud- ded thot brot was a perfect stand-in for Jewish-style rye bread. Vegan mozzarella shreds added gooey-ness and the simple sauce of prepared horseradish and just-made almonnaise provided richness and zing. My batch of kraut had no brine to spare, so I used lemon juice, as the Shockeys' prescribed al- ternative when making the creamy, egg-free al- monnaise. COOKBOOK CRITIC You, too, can ferment and eat well "Fermented Vegetables" by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. NEVERGIVEUP UNTIL THEY BUCKLE UP. VISIT SAFERCAR.GOV/ KIDSBUCKLEUP VISIT SAFERCAR.GOV/ KIDSBUCKLEUP By Mary Orlin Bay Area News Group Depending on how you eat Dungeness crab — with a squeeze of lemon, a dunk in melted butter or slathered in spicy chili sauce — there's a wine that makes a perfect pairing. Here are five great va- rietals that play well with Dungeness crab, and a few suggestions to try. • Bubbles: Sparkling wine goes with just about everything. Crisp, citrusy sparkling wine comple- ments crab's delicate fla- vors, especially if you eat it plain, or spike it with lemon. We like Livermore Valley's 3 Steves Winery Brut Sparkling Wine ($24), a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, Equinox's Blanc de Blanc Monterey Cuvée ($36) and Kathryn Kenne- dy's vintage Cuvée Twenty- Seven Blanc de Blanc ($45- $75 depending on the vin- tage) from the Santa Cruz Mountains. • Muscadet Sèvre-et- Maine: This grape variety, also called melon de Bour- gogne (pronounced meh- lohn de boor-guh-nyuh) hails from France's Loire Valley, but it's one of the best seafood wines made. Some say it's because the vineyards are close to the Atlantic Ocean and the grapes seem to pickup a saline, seawater quality. We think it's because the wine is clean and crisp, with lemony notes and lots of acidity to cleanse your palate. Muscadet is also reasonably priced: Expect to pay $18 to $25 a bottle. Many local specialty wine merchants carry a selec- tion of Muscadet Sèvre-et- Maine (pronounced moos- cah-deh sev'r et man), in- cluding Berkeley's Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Redwood City's K&L Wine Merchants and Artisan Wine Depot in Mountain View and Los Gatos. • Pinot blanc: Not many California wineries make this varietal that hails from Alsace, France. But pinot blanc works well with Dungeness, thanks to the wine's zesty cit- rus and richer stone fruit aromas and flavors, and a rounder, fuller mouth- feel, balanced by steely acidity and stony mineral- ity. If you're making crab cakes or using a spicy sauce, try the 2012 Chal- one Vineyard Estate Pi- not Blanc ($20) from Mon- terey County or Longevi- ty's 2014 Livermore Valley Pinot Blanc ($24). • Rosé: Pink wine goes with just any Dungeness crab dish, making rosé a versatile choice. Look for rosé made from lighter bodied red wines though — syrah, cabernet or zin- fandel rosés can easily overpower the crab. In- stead, sip Coumartin Cel- lars' 2014 Adelaide's Rosé ($25), made from gre- nache, Vasco Urbano Wine Company's Speck Gre- nache Rosé ($24) from Livermore Valley, or for fun, combine bubbles and a rosé with Odona- ta's Sparkling Rosé of San- giovese ($28), made from Santa Clara Valley grapes. • Chardonnay: You have two style choices when it comes to this pop- ular white varietal: na- ked (unoaked) wine or one made with a little oak and malolactic fermenta- tion, which creates a but- tery, richer wine. Unoaked chardonnay is a fuller-bod- ied match for Dungeness crab, yet crisp and citrusy enough to highlight the seafood's delicate flavors. We like Wente Vineyards' stainless steel fermented and aged 2014 Small Lot Eric's Chardonnay ($28) and Mer Soleil's 2014 Silver Chardonnay ($24), which is fermented in concrete tanks. But if you're dip- ping that Dungeness crab in melted butter, or serv- ing it with a creamy sauce, only a barrel fermented and/or aged chardonnay will do. Look for Testaros- sa's Dos Rubios Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands ($48), Beauregard Vine- yards' 2014 Bald Mountain Chardonnay ($45) or the 2013 Wood Family Vine- yards "Para Mis Amigas" Livermore Valley Chardon- nay ($28). WINE Wh at t o qu aff w it h yo ur D un ge ne ss c ra b PATRICK TEHAN/BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Depending on how you eat it — with a squeeze of lemon, a dunk in melted butter or slathered in spicy chili sauce — there's a wine that makes a perfect pairing for Dungeness crab. 734MainStreet 530-690-2477 11am-9pm Mon.-Thur. 11am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 9 CRAFT BEERS ON TAP Pizza Restaurant FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, March 30, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B3