:wiggle:
Trying a little experiment here. I just picked up a nice 15lb HUNK of Premium Rib Eye with full intentions of letting it sit in the fridge for 21+ Days.
If you’ve ever had dry aged steak at a fine dining steakhouse, you’ll understand the need to try this.
I plan on posting up supplies, environment requirements, pictures, and opinions through out the process.
Just picked up some very nice premium meat at Federal Meats for $7.99/lb.
To Summarize the process:
Dry aging allows the natural enzymes within the meat to break down all of the muscle and tendons as a form of natural tenderization. As the meat breaks down, moisture is lost (about 10-15%) allowing a more concentrated flavor of the meat at a consistency that you don’t even need to chew. PERFECT! :eekdance:
first i’ll start by mentioning that you need to cut the outer layer of the meat off when you go to cook. The outer layer will start to turn green and show signs that it’s aging. The longer you let it age, the deeper the green goes, leaving you with less meat. There’s a fine line between this and decomposing meat.
I’ve read many things in research…but no consistant answer. In my opinion, anything longer then 35 days is too long. Green meat is bad.
1.) you have to cut a lot more of the “bad” meat off the outside and left with less edible meat as a result
2.) It’s been said that the peak flavor/tenderization is within this 21-35day range. Not aged long enough and you don’t put the enzymes fully to work and soften the meat, too long and you start to sacrice flavor and volume.
3.) waiting for bliss sucks.
The fancy steak places have this down to a science even constructing rooms out of blocks of salt to help ionize the air. Im all for a good peice of steak, can’t wait for the results. I amy give it a whirl since we just got a new grill with the ceramic sear plate. It does a steak with a perfect center in like 5 minutes.
4 steaks for $220 plus shipping and tax. I wouldn’t mind ordering it off hte menu while out dining…but too much if i have to cook it myself without the fine dining atmosphere.
Alright, so here it goes. I did the initial cleaning and prep last night. All of my steps can very from each person, i’m sure there is no “ONE WAY” to do this, but i’ll try explaining what i do and why i do it the best that i can.
1.) Here is what the meat looks like fresh out of it’s wrapping.
-look for even marbilization of the fat interlaced in the meat…not big hunks of fat.
-make sure the fat is white/light yellow, not grey.
-keep all the outter fat on the meat, DO NOT trim it off. The fat acts as a barrier to keep moisture in and bacteria out.
Day 1:
2.) Being sure to thoroughly wash my hands with soap, I placed in the sink and on a baking rack to wash it. Using cold water I scrubbed the meat with my hand. Mainly trying to get any contaminants off as possible that could initiate a breeding ground for bacteria.
3.) After washing the meat, it needs to be dried as dry as possible, again to help eliminate bacteria from growing. I purchased regular terry cloths for a couple reasons. A.) They are natural cotton and absorb moisture well. B.) They are very porous and will allow air to circulate easily around the meat, helping to further dry it
4.) I used a couple terry cloths just to soak up the water and blood and get it as dry as possible.
5.) I then wrapped the meat entirely using two clean dry terry towels. I also put some rubber bands to help keep it wrapped
6.) What DIY would be complete with out a little bit of customization. I had some aluminum flat bar lying around so i made a hook attached to the back of the fridge to allow me to stand the meat up in a fridge i have dedicated to this project.
7.) In the meat locker: What’s more manly then having a huge piece of meat age in the garage with a jug of motor oil sitting next to it and bunch of diamond plate steel around?
Here’s my setup:
When storing it in the fridge. You need to put in on a rack so the air can circulate entirely around the meat, don’t lay it in a pan.
Temperature:The best temperature for the meat is between 34°F-38°F. If you use a regular household fridge, it’s coldest at the bottom in the back. Put it there.
Humidity:…i’ve read that about 75%-85% Humidity is ideal. This is not humid enough to promote bacteria growth, but not dry enough to dry out the meat, further shrinking it.
As it sits right now, I have the temperature in the fridge stabilized around 35°F, but the humidity is at 40%. I’m still playing around with how exactly to get the humidity up. Right now i have a bowl of water in there with a damp rag…but i don’t know how well that works.
The other idea i have, may be to put live moss in the fridge, along the bottom. I’ll update the thread as i dial in this detail of the process.
NOT PICTURED at the moment, but I have a thermometer/hygrometer in the fridge to give me digital readings of the Temperature and Humidity. You can buy this device online at Walmart for just $7.
The use of a hygrometer is an accurate way to monitor the environment. It’s a MUST in my opinion.
CLEANING OF THE WRAPS/CLOTH:
My plan is to only wrap the meat in cloth for a few days, to help draw out the moisture from around the outtermost layers of the meat. In reading, the best way i’ve seen to clean the used cloths is to soak them in warm salt water to remove the blood/fat and wash/rinse them out by hand.
It’s probably not the best idea to use detergent and fabric softers since it’s likely these things and add unwanted flavors to the meat.