La Frollatura

After harvest, beef (and other livestock meat) is often aged, a process also known as conditioning or ripening. During the aging process, the natural action of enzymes and benign bacteria improve the taste and texture of the meat. After the initial period of rigor mortis has passed (usually within four to twenty-four hours), naturally occurring enzymes found in the muscles begin to break down protein components in the muscle fibers into smaller ones. The breakup of these protein strands is called fragmentation and accounts for the increase in tenderness.