Dry aging steak/beef at home
Discussion
ks21TonyK said:
Just googled it. Looks interesting but $20 for three bags!!
I can see an advantage if you could properly age single steaks but all the bags are for primals or subs. Ageing in a bag doesn't seem to offer a great advantage over normal dry ageing or am I missing something?
I think its just the convenience of whacking it in a bag, over hanging it it a cold room.I can see an advantage if you could properly age single steaks but all the bags are for primals or subs. Ageing in a bag doesn't seem to offer a great advantage over normal dry ageing or am I missing something?
this website tells you how to do it in great detail:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-co...
I havent tried it as I get my butcher to do it - he starts off with typical 28 day and hangs it for a month extra for me. Surprisingly it doesnt lose much weight at all.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-co...
I havent tried it as I get my butcher to do it - he starts off with typical 28 day and hangs it for a month extra for me. Surprisingly it doesnt lose much weight at all.
I do it on cooling racks in the Fridge, as recommended by Heston in "In search of Perfection". Apparently the humidity is a fridge is ideal. I buy cheap, unaged ribeye from either Macro or recently some Bavette from an online place recommended on here.
When you cut the steaks they are obviously wet and bright red, after 4-5 days they are darker in hue, and dry. The improvement in flavour is marked. With a leaner piece of meat like a bavette, it is worth oiling the meat before it hits the pan.
Over 7 days drying is a bit too much for me, but I haven't spent the cash on anything aged over 30 days from a butcher for comparison.
When you cut the steaks they are obviously wet and bright red, after 4-5 days they are darker in hue, and dry. The improvement in flavour is marked. With a leaner piece of meat like a bavette, it is worth oiling the meat before it hits the pan.
Over 7 days drying is a bit too much for me, but I haven't spent the cash on anything aged over 30 days from a butcher for comparison.
BenjiA said:
I do it on cooling racks in the Fridge, as recommended by Heston in "In search of Perfection". Apparently the humidity is a fridge is ideal. I buy cheap, unaged ribeye from either Macro or recently some Bavette from an online place recommended on here.
When you cut the steaks they are obviously wet and bright red, after 4-5 days they are darker in hue, and dry. The improvement in flavour is marked. With a leaner piece of meat like a bavette, it is worth oiling the meat before it hits the pan.
Over 7 days drying is a bit too much for me, but I haven't spent the cash on anything aged over 30 days from a butcher for comparison.
Just using a fridge might be ok for a few days but you will need a fan inside the fridge as per my link if you want to age for longer periods., otherwise the meat will just go moldy and off. All the interesting flavours start to develop after 28+ days in my view. Not tried beyond 60, but much will depend on the provenance of the meat in the first place and the breed. The butchers unit is just a large walk in firdge at 2 degrees,C but it does have a large fan ensuring the air is exchanged regularly otherwise the meat goes off. When you cut the steaks they are obviously wet and bright red, after 4-5 days they are darker in hue, and dry. The improvement in flavour is marked. With a leaner piece of meat like a bavette, it is worth oiling the meat before it hits the pan.
Over 7 days drying is a bit too much for me, but I haven't spent the cash on anything aged over 30 days from a butcher for comparison.
GT2CS said:
this website tells you how to do it in great detail:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-co...
I havent tried it as I get my butcher to do it - he starts off with typical 28 day and hangs it for a month extra for me. Surprisingly it doesnt lose much weight at all.
How much does he charge for that?http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-co...
I havent tried it as I get my butcher to do it - he starts off with typical 28 day and hangs it for a month extra for me. Surprisingly it doesnt lose much weight at all.
I had probably the best ribeye I've ever eaten recently which was (pretentious alert) 45 day aged beef from the Pyrenees. Great texture and rich/juicy. A touch over seasoned but that didn't spoil it
nothing - he's such a nice guy he even mixes custom burger patty blends for me from different cuts of beef. Having a chat each time you go in helps. Obviously if everyone asked he couldnt do it, but I was the first one to and have only done it twice in a year as I dont want to take advantage. But if you to go to the likes of the Ginger Pig and get an aged piece of ribeye the prices rises exponentially as ages. I pay just £17 a kg.
21TonyK said:
thebraketester said:
I think its just the convenience of whacking it in a bag, over hanging it it a cold room.
Guess so. As an aside, I've always found decent butchers happy to hang a joint for you if you ask nicely and buy them a pint or two.How big do these joints need to be? In my mind, you cannot just hang two ribs of beef.
My butcher is very good. The first time that I visited him, I asked for 6 rib eyes. He looked down his nose at me and said "rib eyes". [Pause...] "RIB EYES". "This is a proper butchers. We don't do rib eyes."
He then sold me six rump steaks that were as tender as any fillet that I have ever tasted, but they had great taste.
Anyway, I shall speak to him.
GT2CS said:
Oh and the meat shouldnt go dry, it should,remain moist on the outside. Yours is drying because a closed fridge dries everything out. Hence why you need a fan in the side of the fridge ie a specially made or adapted fridge.
Yes it will, it's not called dry ageing for nothing.Scantily said:
Yes it will, it's not called dry ageing for nothing.
You cant age single cuts of ribeye. These will simply dry out and eventually rot. You need to age the whole cut, which is about 1kg-1.5kg. The exterior fat layer prevents the cut from drying out. Total mositure loss should be less than 5%. When you slice the cut of meat up in to your individual steaks post ageing, the end surface area which doesnt have the protective fat covering will become somewhat dry. This is the only part that partially dries. You can cut this off by cutting a 1/2cm-1cm slice off the end. All the other slices will be moist and tender and not dry at all. I think the butcher that didnt sell rib eyes is because there appears to be no plural for rib eye. You want six, you ask for six rib eye steaks not six rib eyes.
don4l said:
I'm going to have a chat with my butcher about this.
How big do these joints need to be? In my mind, you cannot just hang two ribs of beef.
My butcher is very good. The first time that I visited him, I asked for 6 rib eyes. He looked down his nose at me and said "rib eyes". [Pause...] "RIB EYES". "This is a proper butchers. We don't do rib eyes."
He then sold me six rump steaks that were as tender as any fillet that I have ever tasted, but they had great taste.
Anyway, I shall speak to him.
He sounds like a total knob. I'd never go back. How big do these joints need to be? In my mind, you cannot just hang two ribs of beef.
My butcher is very good. The first time that I visited him, I asked for 6 rib eyes. He looked down his nose at me and said "rib eyes". [Pause...] "RIB EYES". "This is a proper butchers. We don't do rib eyes."
He then sold me six rump steaks that were as tender as any fillet that I have ever tasted, but they had great taste.
Anyway, I shall speak to him.
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