Why Is Beef The Only Meat That’s Dry
Because beef comes in very large cuts, it is ideal for dry aging. The process takes at least 15 days to deliver any benefits. Cuts from smaller animals will dry out by that time. Other large cuts can be dry-aged â such as venison â but beef is the one you’re most likely to see on restaurant menus or for sale online.
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Peter Luger Steak House
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What Are The Best Cuts Of Beef For Dry Aging
Prime rib cuts that have a fat cap are the best choice for dry-aged beef. Cuts of prime rib are large, which is important because smaller cuts will dry out before the flavors associated with the aging process develop. The fat cap provides additional protection against moisture loss.
Individual steaks are not good for dry aging. They dry out too quickly for any unique flavor to develop.
Why Is Dry Aged Beef Better
Dry-aged beef is better than fresh cuts of beef because of its highly concentrated flavor and tender texture. The process of dry-aging beef naturally breaks down any tough muscles, resulting in ultra-tender meat. Plus, as beef dry ages, the cuts will lose around 15%-20% of their moisture, making the beef far more concentrated, creating a bolder, more meaty flavor.
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Experience The Flavor Difference
Buying a top-of-the-line exquisite piece of meat like dry-aged beef at Bristol Farms is exciting! At the same time, however, you dont want to take it home and not cook it to its true potential of deliciousness. Dont be worried! Here are some tips on how to prepare your Bristol Farms dry-aged steak:
What Does Dry Aged Beef Taste Like
When you get to 30 days you will start noticing some funky flavors developing. Most people describe it as nutty or blue cheesey. The longer you go the more intense those flavors will be. Some people really like the flavors that develop, others dont really care for it. To get the full experience of dry aged beef I would look for something in the 45-60 degree range. If you like it seek out something that is aged longer. If you dont like the flavor but still want to experience dry aged beef look for some that has been aged 14-30 days.
The enzymes that are responsible for the tenderness play a part in the flavor changes but there are also bacteria at work . A lot of the flavor change comes from the oxidation of the fat. You start doing things with the fat on a piece of beef and you will notice a lot of flavor change.
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A True Labour Of Love
Dry aged beef may come with a bigger price tag, but the payoff is a flavour that is unmistakable and a texture that is vastly superior to wet aged beef. The benefits far outweigh the costs. Ultimately, dry aging is for those who are looking for a next level eating experience and thats what it can really bring to the table.
If you love steak but have never tried one thats been dry aged, this dry aged rump cap recipe might just inspire you.
How To Dry Age Beef At Home
Dry-aged beef has been the go-to on steak house and restaurant menus for years. And theres a darn good reason why.
The melt-in-your-mouth texture, the flavour profiles, the tenderness, the deep shades of red you see when cooked to perfection its a no-brainer for beef lovers who expect an experience when they cut into their steak.
Dry ageing beef went out of vogue in the 1960s when the process of wet-ageing meat meant it could be done cheaper and faster. Dry-aging can take 4-6 weeks and needs special ageing lockers.
It also causes product loss due to the trimming required and evaporation that takes place. Wet-aging is faster and requires less equipment. Because of this, wet-aged beef is cheaper to buy and is more common. But dry ageing is well and truly worth it. Enzymes break down the fat within the meat and is worth it for the flavour profiles alone.
And more and more beef fans are giving it a crack at home.
So what do you need to do to make it work? Its not as easy as simply leaving your steaks in the fridge wrapped in cheesecloth for a week, and some dedicated equipment is required.
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How Long Does It Take To Dry Age Beef
The length of time you dry age your beef depends on your tastes and your patience. An easy guide is:
- 2 to 4 weeks if your goal is increased tenderness
- 4 to 6 weeks for that spectacular dry-age flavour
- 6 to 8 weeks if youre a fan of a more funky, aged flavour
- Longer if you really want to get into the blue-cheese zone
What Is Dry Aged Beef
Aside from being delicious dry aged beef is beef that has been stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment for anywhere from 14 to 90 days . In that time a few things happen to the beef. The two main changes are in the texture and flavor.
Enzymes in the meat start doing their work breaking down the meat which changes the texture. It doesnt get mushy or tough or anything weird like that. The meat becomes more tender and has a great mouth feel. At 14 days you will start to see some textural differences but going to 30 days will result in a much more tender steak. Beyond that the texture doesnt change much.
Flavor changes start really picking up around 30 days. You will generally see steaks aged 30, 45, 60, or 90 days. There are a few restaurants that go to 180 or even 365 days. The longer you go the more flavor changes you will see.
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Things To Know About Dry
If you have never tried a dry-aged steak before, there are a few things you need to know about them.
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It isnt individual cuts of steak that are aged, but a whole part that is aged and the steaks cut from that whole.
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The longer a piece of beef is aged the more depth of flavor it will develop.
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The aging process uses the natural enzymes within the meat to break down the connective tissues in the meat itself which will make it more tender.
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This same process removes moisture from the meat and allows the lipids within the muscle to break down.
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A dry-aged steak will be a deep burgundy, nearly purple color.
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Cuts that have been properly dry-aged for 30 to 42 days will be less tender than a steak dry-aged longer, however, they will be at peak beef flavor, providing a buttery and roast-beefy taste when properly cooked.
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Any beef that has been aged for 45 days and up will begin to develop a gamey-nutty flavor with the supercharged beef.
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Beef that has been aged for 90 days or longer will develop a crust that is very similar to the rind on a cheese. This is a good thing. It will also establish a flavor similar to bleu cheese thanks to the same types of bacteria used in the production of said cheese.
If you have never experienced a dry-aged steak before, it can be better to start slow. Try a steak that has been aged between 30 and 42 days. That way you can enjoy maximum beef flavor before things get too funky.
Cant I Just Dry Age My Own Beef At Home
With the prices of dry aged beef you might think it best to just do it yourself. There are definitely some ways you can dry aged beef at home and I will definitely give it a shot sometime. SeriousEats.com has a great article on dry aging beef at home and Jess Pryles wrote up a great tutorial as well. Follow those methods and you will have some great dry aged steak.
But you do need a dedicated fridge. And you need to be able to find they right cuts to age. The primal you get needs to have as much of a fat cap on it as possible and there are specific ways to cut the primals to maximize the yield. Since the outside of the primal dries up and needs to be trimmed you want as much extra stuff on the primal. A strip loin from Costco will be your best bet. But if you want a ribeye? You will have to get really friendly with your butcher and get a 107 or a 109A rib roast. The 109 Export is what is normally sold and that has had the fat cap mostly removed. The result is a dried out spinalis muscle which is such a waste.
So you can definitely dry age your own steaks but it does take a bit of work and you will need to find a good source for your beef.
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How Does Dry Aging Work
The truth is, all meat benefits from some amount of aging. Most of the beef we consume has been wet aged a process where the meat has been sealed in a bag to retain its moisture. The chemical transformation that happens to beef occurs regardless of whether the meat is left outside of a bag to dry age or inside a vacuum-sealed bag to wet age. The difference comes in the flavour.
When you dry age beef, two things happen:
1. Moisture is pulled out of the meat. The fat portion retains more water than the lean portion, causing the lean muscle to shrink around the fat the fat becomes more pronounced, thus giving the beef more flavour.
2. Bacteria formed in the aging process produces a robust flavour profile that is highly desirable. Its like cheese, says Aaron. Its very rich and intense. In fact, if you look at a rib of dry aged beef, you can see veins similar to those found in blue cheese working their way through. Both the mold, and the flavour profiles, are indeed similar.
Best Ways To Cook Dry
There are many different ways you can cook dry-aged beef. This includes:
- It is the most common way to cook dry-aged beef, as it allows the meat to release the natural juices during the cooking process.
- The dry-aged beef is placed on a rack above the broiler to allow the meat to cook evenly. Broiling also allows the meat to retain its juices, which helps to make the meat tender.
- Pan-frying. The beef is seasoned and then pan-fried until it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
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Proper Preparation & Cooking Of Dry Aged Meat:
Your set up is a huge part of the dry age process, but so is knowing how to treat the product when its ready to eat. There are important two factors you need to consider when approaching the preparation and cooking stage: palatibility and food safety.
PALATABILITY basically refers to how enjoyable it is to eat, both in terms of flavor and texture. Assuming all your aging parameters were correct and theres no spoilage, the only hindrance to perfect palatability is going to be the rind, or hard outer shell that forms during aging. The rind does not soften during the cooking process and so needs to be removed. Dont be stingy with your trimming here theres no point in aging steak only to have a poor eating experience by leaving rind on there.
When trimming back your rind, you may notice that there are parts of the muscle itself that have turned a brown shade. In most cases, this is nothing but oxidization of the myoglobin, a harmless color change. As long as you feel the darker areas and they seem to be the same consistency they will be fine to eat, despite not being appealing in color. Theres always a chance that the discoloration is not simply part of the myoglobin cycle, but a more concerning issue like meat that was close to an air pocket or seam which held mold. You should be able to make a judgement call here using smell and touch, but if in doubt, trim it away. Food poisoning is not fun, FYI.
AND SO TO SUMMARIZE
Where To Buy Dry Aged Beef
Steaks are great. Beef in general is great. But do you want to take a great steak and make it outstanding? That is where dry aged beef comes in.
I will get into a bit more detail in a bit but if you just want the short explanation and want to know where to buy dry aged beef here you go:
Dry aged beef is beef that has been stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment that allows the natural enzymes in the beef to change the texture and flavor of the beef. There is more to it than that but that is the simple explanation.
You can dry age your own beef at home but here are 4 great sources to buy dry aged beef. They are all different and have their strengths and weaknesses but if you just want to buy some dry aged beef:
Disclosure: This post is monetized with affiliate links. If you buy something through them I earn a commission which helps support this site and lets me buy more meat so I can write about it.
OK, the introductions are out of the way. Still reading? Great, lets dig into dry aged beef a bit more.
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What Is The Dry
The dry-aging process begins in an enclosed temperature and humidity-controlled room where different cuts of meat are allowed to dry out. As the meat begins to dry, it will lose at least 10% of water depending on how long the cut of meat is being dried. Because of the water loss, the protein will appear to shrink in size while the fat and bones will remain the same size. Since the water is not interfering with the integrity of the flavor, the person who will eat the piece of dry-aged beef will savor a more intense taste of fatty and meaty richness. This richness only intensifies with the passing of time in the room. Although it is normal for the piece of meat to begin to grow mold, this is considered natural and not unhealthy as the parts that are hardened or covered in mold will be sliced off before sending it off to the kitchen or gourmet grocery store such as Bristol Farms.
Porter Road Dry Aged Beef
UPDATE For a limited time Porter Road is offering a 70 Day Dry Aged NY Strip:
Most Porter Road beef is dry aged for 14 days but this special NY strip is aged for 70 days so you will get some great, funky flavors and incredible tenderness. These steaks are about a pound each and go for $55 which is a solid price for a piece of meat of this quality. I dont know how long these will be around so order yours now while they still have some in stock: Porter Road 70 Day Dry Aged NY Strip
Porter Road approaches their dry aging a bit differently than Snake River or some of the other places I will mention. Rather than aging the primals they age the whole carcass. They also only age their meat for 14 days. You do get some of the texture differences you would normally see with dry aged beef but you wont have any of the funky flavors a lot of dry aged steak lovers crave. That doesnt mean Porter Road steaks arent good. They are excellent. A few months ago I compared 4 different bone in ribeyes and theirs came out on top.
Give the dry aged beef from Porter Road a try and use code MEATLOVER to save $15 on orders over $100 and get free shipping .
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