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We welcome queries from journalists on all topics associated with the protein business and its connection with restaurant and hospitality business in Texas, the Southwest and the United States. Our culinary and meat industry experts are available to respond to your questions. For information, contact Fran Gallagher, Praestar Public Relations, 214-762-6193, fran@praestarpr.com

WINN MEAT COMPANY OFFERS UNITED STATES’ LEADING DRY-AGING PROGRAMS Winn’s Signature Process Features Sterling Silver® Beef DALLAS (March 28, 2007) – Dallas-based Winn Meat Company has a signature dry-aging process that is capturing the attention and business of five-star restaurants across Texas.  Winn Meat Company’s impressive process has a powerful foundation with the use of the United States’ leading premium program of beef from Sterling Silver Premium Meats.  “We’ve developed this signature process and decided to take it on as a business in 2003,” said Walter Wilkerson, President of Winn Meat Company.  “Our customers are looking for innovation and, ultimately, the best product available.  Dry-aging delivers the most tender and flavorful beef possible, and we’re proud to have had such success in our dry-aging program.”  Winn Meat Company explored and pursued the dry-aging program through a collaboration with Ted Grieb, Executive Chef of Dakota’s in Dallas. “Dry-aged beef is not for everyone,” said Jamie Samford, Corporate Chef and Product Development Manager for Winn Meat Company.  “It’s a flavor profile that is an acquired taste, along the lines of foie gras or caviar.  But dry-aging delivers on flavor. The bottom line is an incredibly tender and intensely flavored steak that is truly more than a meal: it is an experience.” Frankly, there’s more to beef than meets the eye these days. Among the questions that come up: What is “Aged Beef?” Does it refer to the age of the animal? Where is this aging taking place? In the cooler, or outside in a barn? Do I want dry-aged or wet-aged? I don’t want a “dry” steak. I like mine juicy! Does this mean “wet-aged” is better? I’m confused! Four decades ago, all beef was dry-aged. Butchers discovered that beef carcasses that were allowed to hang for several days tended to be more tender and flavorful than those that were processed and eaten immediately. While dry-aging had a positive impact on flavor and tenderness, it had a negative impact on yield. Dry-aged beef lost water moisture and, therefore, weight. And less weight equals more cost to the customer. Wet-aging came in with vacuum packing in the early ‘60s. In this process, meat is allowed to sit in a vacuum packed bag in its own juices for 7 to 28 days, at a temperature of 34-38 degrees F. Tenderness is positively impacted by wet aging, but flavor is not, since there is no loss of moisture. Wet aging is a much less expensive proposition for the beef industry. What happens to beef when it is dry-aged that creates such a buzz? The scientific word is proteolysis, or breakdown of muscle proteins. This process depends on specific enzymes that focus on digesting proteins when the animal is alive. When the animal is slaughtered, these enzymes are released into the meat where they begin to breakdown proteins into their more flavorful components, amino acids, and act on the muscle tissue to make it softer. This all occurs under very controlled conditions, temperature of 35-38 degrees F, and humidity of 50-60% with a very controlled air flow over the meat. All Winn Meat dry-aged beef is dry-aged at least 21 days. Successful results for this time-honored process are achieved with only the finest quality beef. Winn Meat Company uses Prime and Sterling Silver® Premium beef in its dry aging program. In a mass-produced commercial environment where all attention is given to profit margin, Winn Meat is one of the few companies that are producing custom, dry-aged beef for their customers. About Winn Meat Company Winn Meat Company has been providing food service clients with top-quality meat products and services for over 100 years. The company was originally founded as Bunting’s Wholesale Market in 1902. Robert Winn bought the company in 1974. Today, Mr. Winn’s son Todd and son-in-law Walter Wilkerson continue the family tradition of service excellence that is now the hallmark of Winn Meat Company. From specialty cuts to custom orders, Winn Meat Company is dedicated to giving customers not only high-quality products and services, but value. Capabilities range from sourcing unique products to in-house development of products to meet customer specifications. Winn Meat Company is proud of many longstanding relationships built on a commitment to quality and service.  Winn Meat Company offers a broad range of products, from true dry-aged beef to fresh foie gras.  For more background, please visit www.winnmeat.com.