Dry-aged beef

[Clone]

^^When you buy a half cow, do you order the front half or the back half.

You can buy front quarters or rear quarters, or half of a half. You can also have different types of cuts or grinds. For example, if you don't use many roasts, you can have those ground into burger. Some roasts can be cut into steaks. And thickness is your choice.

If you want some great beef, buy a 4-H steer from the county fair!

We have had halves hung longer before cutting. They will let you select how thick you want them cut, and how you want them packaged.

I am not a fan of grass fed beef. To each their own.

We have an excellent grocer with an excellent meat counter close to the house. The cut that you buy and how you prepare it is the key to great steak. I am not an expert at it, but am practicing!

 

[USGrant1962]

Oh, and as an aside, try a day or two in the fridge to dry after you spatchcock and season a chicken. Amazing crisp skin and browning. I learned this one from Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat: https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Aci...1524885763&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+fat+acid+heat All you need is an oven and the best cooking pan ever invented - the 12 inch cast iron skillet.

Another opinion here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/crispy-spatchcocked-chicken-recipe/

 

[Scuba]

If I’ve ever had dry aged beef, it would have been in a high-end steakhouse, but I don’t recall having it so maybe I haven’t.

For cooking steaks at home, about a year ago our Trader Joe’s started carrying center cut filet mignon. IMO it’s better than any other steak I’ve ever bought including Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, Costco or Whole Foods. DH & I prefer filets to other cuts of steak and now the TJ’s center cut is the only kind we buy to cook at home.

 

[explanade]

What about sous vide.

Anyone slow broiling and then blow torching their steaks?

 

[Winemaker]

What about sous vide.

Anyone slow broiling and then blow torching their steaks?

My son sent me a sous vide cooker for Christmas. I am pleased with the results so far, but I don't torch. I have several cast iron skillets/ cooking grates that I either superheat in oven or on grill, and sear that way. My only issue with it is timing; if DW and I cook that way that particular evening, it becomes an "event". Everyday meals around this household usually start with a raw veggie platter with a glass of white wine, timing is unimportant. When using the SV, cooking begins hours ahead of time, depending on cut /andor weather outside.

He also gave us a Himalayan salt block last Christmas, I like it also. However, I feel that if the "meat" is wet/juicy/runny then it picks up more salt, since the juices dissolve a lot more of the salt while cooking.

 

[Winemaker]

In my father-in-law's last two years of life, he could have anything he wanted. As long as it was passed through a food processor to puree, as he could not swallow solid food.

So, you will not have to eat tofu. Purée rare steak it will be.

And that was in a nursing home, not a hospital, where the nutritional stuff usually had to go through a tube, fed through the nostril down to the esophagus. I saw that with my father.

For longer-term tube feeding, they would make an opening in the torso, and thread the feeding tube directly to the stomach. That would make it easier for the patient to breathe.

While I hope I am never in that situation, my point was that tofu or any of the other meat substitutes would not be responsible for putting me in that situation. And if it does, I will have died a happy and productive life, enjoying life's simple pleasures. None of us get out of here alive. Dietary fat/cholesterol or whatever the boogeyman du jour is not a concern of me today. Everything in moderation.

My father, who died at 70 of leukemia, had a feeding tube his last days. The man was never sick during his working days, he worked outside. He couldn't stand any fat in any meal, not even bacon or sausage, his BP and cholesterol were well under the guidelines. His brothers, all in their 80's, have sky high BP and cholesterol, and worked indoors all their lives, around chemicals, paint, dust and coatings. Their parents lived long lives also.

 

[Midpack]

Thread drift much?

 

[Tailgate]

results

OP here... did a reverse sear on these 14 day dry-aged NY strips cooked medium rare. Sorry, no pic of the finished product, but they were good steaks, however in mine and DW's estimation, not 'special' or worth the $25 a pound price. We'll go back to the filets we've always enjoyed. Same price point but better flavor IMHO.

 

[savory]

You might want to try drying your own. I saw Alton Brown do this on his cooking show. You can search home dry aged steaks. But, basically I dry the steaks with paper towels and turn them on edge and allow them to dry in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I have dried roasts more than 5 days. I turn the steaks once per day. If they will not stand up on their own, I place toothpicks between the steaks for supports. This is not a true dry aged steak. But true dry aged takes weeks and requires trimming the steaks afterwards. This method replicates some of the qualities of a dry aged steak at a lower cost and less time. The photo is day two of steaks I bought yesterday at Costco.

We do a similar thing but age a prime rib for about 40-45 days in our second fridge. Just put it in the fridge and wait. We have been changing residence so living far from a Costco now. We will need to drive or find an alternative store. My SIL is a wonderful cook. To me, the aging of the meat results in a wonderful, tasty meal.under his cooking approach.

 

[flintnational]

We do a similar thing but age a prime rib for about 40-45 days in our second fridge. Just put it in the fridge and wait. We have been changing residence so living far from a Costco now. We will need to drive or find an alternative store. My SIL is a wonderful cook. To me, the aging of the meat results in a wonderful, tasty meal.under his cooking approach.

Thanks. I will try this. I have aged prime rib but not nearly that long. Do you need to trim the roast after aging for 40-45 days? They are opening a new Costco this summer that will be about 2 miles from the house.

 

[savory]

Thanks. I will try this. I have aged prime rib but not nearly that long. Do you need to trim the roast after aging for 40-45 days? They are opening a new Costco this summer that will be about 2 miles from the house.

Yes, the ends are very dry and they need to be trimmed. Tt drives up the cost per pound. More expensive than the original purchase but cheaper than a restaurant. Keeping the temp in the fridge as consistent as possible does seem to help. At least that may have been one thing that has caused some variation in our age beef.

 

[Midpack]

Yes, the ends are very dry and they need to be trimmed. Tt drives up the cost per pound. More expensive than the original purchase but cheaper than a restaurant. Keeping the temp in the fridge as consistent as possible does seem to help. At least that may have been one thing that has caused some variation in our age beef.

The meat actually loses (water) weight through dry-aging anyway. And it has to be trimmed too, additional weight loss, the total is substantial and part of the reason dry-aged steaks are much more expensive.

Water weight drops about 10% in the first 21 days, 15% total at 30 days, 23% at 50 days, and 35% at 120 days.

So now you’re at 30 days, which is the most commonly asked for. At that point, you start to pick up dry-aged flavor. [Maybe that's why I didn't pick up much difference at Capital Grille, theirs are only aged 14-21 days...]

You have to “face,” meaning you have to take a slice off the front and back, because you have to remove all that outer crust in order for the USDA to allow you to sell it. You can’t sell it with that black mold on it.”

https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19527792/dry-aged-beef-explained/

 

[savory]

The meat actually loses (water) weight through dry-aging anyway. And it has to be trimmed too, additional weight loss, the total is substantial and part of the reason dry-aged steaks are much more expensive.



https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19527792/dry-aged-beef-explained/

Yep, it is controlling the moisture loss. the 40-45 day mark seems to have worked well for us.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Nick Solares who does the Meat Show on Eater's Youtube channel has some pretty far out segments where he visits some chefs that experiment with some extreme dry aging. Think 400+ days. The beef's flavour seems to evolve, it gaining a blue cheese flavour. Wacky stuff.

Here's one video.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Strange...... Seems to improve steaks in Atlanta.

Gotta luv Atlanta!

Anyone living outside Atlanta should read this:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-dry-aging-beef-at-home.html

 

[flintnational]

Gotta luv Atlanta!

Anyone living outside Atlanta should read this:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-dry-aging-beef-at-home.html

Or, they could read this article from Cooks Illustrated indicating you can dry age steaks at home.

" so we pan-seared the home-aged steaks and tasted them alongside a batch of the same commercially dry-aged cuts costing $19.99 per pound. Our findings? Sure enough, four days of dry-aging in a home fridge gave the steaks a comparably smoky flavor and dense, tender texture."

 

[ohyouknow]

I was planning on a trip to Switzerland for August and in many cases, the best restaurants are in hotels of these alpine villages.

Some hotels offer half board options which would save you some money over going out for dinner so I ended up studying some menus when I booked hotels and deciding whether to take the half board or not.

In a lot of menus, one of the starter choices was some kind of dried beef. It isn't like jerky though, I've heard.

Anyone try it? Can't think of what they called it.

Carpaccio? I’ve had it in Italy and Germany so it’s likely common in Switzerland. It’s like a thin sliced raw roast beef. When I’ve had it it was drizzled with olive oil and salt, and ate with a baguette.

 

[Midpack]

Carpaccio? I’ve had it in Italy and Germany so it’s likely common in Switzerland. It’s like a thin sliced raw roast beef. When I’ve had it it was drizzled with olive oil and salt, and ate with a baguette.

That would be my guess too, though it’s not dried IIRC, just raw and sliced paper thin. It’s really good, I’ve had Carpaccio in Chicago a few times too.

 

[RobbieB]

Snake River Farms gold grade wagyu wet aged, $80/lb. Medium rare over natural lump.

Perfect.

 

[Jeff76Canada]

Hey, between a grass fed and grain, I prefer the Angus lol and whatever cow that have short muscles and fat between then, not on the side.
Some of the south American cattle are not this type and produce a different meat, not so tender.

Here in Canada it's relatively easy to buy a great strip sirloin, grass feed, and all extras. But dry aged is harder to find.

I love to make steaks on a steel bbq just like this one , which is made in Logan -Utah, awesome build , no cheap stuff. Heat on high, put the steaks, one turn, salt on the end only. I left them rest for 5minutes inside my oven, very important.

Just made today!



Other day I made a ribs steak, also unbelievable flavor.

 

[Jeff76Canada]

That would be my guess too, though it’s not dried IIRC, just raw and sliced paper thin. It’s really good, I’ve had Carpaccio in Chicago a few times too.

It's a different thing. It's a dried meat, like you in USA do the jerk beef, they do this meat but slice very thin

 

[EastWest Gal]

What about sous vide.

Anyone slow broiling and then blow torching their steaks?

I got into sous vide 3 years ago thanks to this forum. It’s the only way I cook steak. But no torch-just sear in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. Salt and pepper at the last. DH likes steak sauce. Kermit’s Key Lime, to be precise. I find it a handy way to cook all kinds of meat. But the best is steak.

 

[pacergal]

If you want some great beef, buy a 4-H steer from the county fair!
[/QUOTE]

^^^This.
A co workers daughter won a blue ribbon for her steer. We bought 1/2 of the butchered meat. Best beef I have ever had.

 

[Red Badger]

This Thread

This is likely the most important thread ever posted. Ever. Not just this forum, but all of the internet. I am humbled.

 

[CardsFan]

It's a different thing. It's a dried meat, like you in USA do the jerk beef, they do this meat but slice very thin

Maybe this?:

Bündnerfleisch, also known as Bindenfleisch or Viande des Grisons, is an air-dried meat that is produced in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bündnerfleisch