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Aging Beef at home?

I don't eat a lot of red meat (for health reasons) maybe once or twice a month, but when I do I want it to be the best possible indulgence since I know it's going to be a while before I get more.

I attended an aged beer and food pairing this Sunday ( http://www.facebook.com/DioNicEss ) and had an amazing 55 day dry aged steak that was unbelievable in taste and tenderness.

Reminded me of a summer I spent back in Corsicana Texas in the late 90's where you can not only pick out your steak from the dry aging room out back, but you can even pick out your cow from the farm directly behind that if you want.

I was talking to the chef about how good the steak was and he said although dry aging is by far the best way to age a steak I could purchase a cryo of large beef and just age it in the fridge myself. He also said I can buy dry age bags that's suppose to allow some air out, but not the bad air in, but he's never tested them so couldn't comment on if they work or not.

Well I looked up "dry aging bags" online and found dry bag steak http://www.drybagsteak.com I read all the info watched the video and it seems easy enough. I also found a really good review here http://steamykitchen.com/6626-review-how-to-dry-age-steaks-with-drybag.html

Seems like a small investment which would really pay for itself if the steaks even taste half as good as a professionally dry aged steak.

Does anyone either wet or dry age their own steaks at home? Curious to see if you can really taste the difference and if anyone has used the bags before?
 
Never did beef at home before.
My only experience is with elk.
I used a spare fridge emptied of everything except elk meat. I would age for 2 weeks at 35-39 degrees.
Set on racks for good airflow.
This would be done prior to butchering for the deep freeze.
Nothing like an aged steak, no matter what the meat.
 
I love dry aged.

You're gonna need a beverage refrigerator with a digital thermostat to set it to between freezing and 36 and keep it there exactly. Wine coolers usually don't get that low but the ones for cans do, they are called beverage centers. Take the shelves out and done.

I would not risk it in a general fridge.

Just my take.
 
+1 on the beverage fridge.
The fridge I used lacked humidity (old pos). Another good thing about being in Colorado. It's dry.
I knew a few people who would use a cup of dry rice kept in the fridge while aging to absorb any excess humidity.
Never did it myself but thought it would be worth mentioning.
 
Ok I looked at the site again and found this

Temperature requirements for dry aging: Dry age at temperature between 34-38F. Typical household refrigerators and restaurant coolers are designed to protect food items like fruits, vegetables, fish and meats from spoilage without freezing them. Please make sure that your refrigerator maintains temperature between 34-38 F to ensure proper aging and prevent spoilage. Ensure that the DrybagSteak material is in contact with the beef and there are no air pockets inside the bag.

Not sure if that means I can use my fridge or not. I'll have to setup my laptop and temp probe and monitor the temps to see how much it fluctuates.

Would a small fridge work? I just picked up a new one for the office and it works great. I actually had to turn the setting down because a few things next to the top actually froze.
 
I found this online from a guy who did the bag method for years before building a dedicted freezer with temp monitors and extra fans for circulation.



For the drybag steak method you would be just as well off by putting them in your regular refrigerator and not hassle with the route that I went. The drybag method does not require high humidity or lots of air circulation. It also keeps the meat safe from cross contamination. That said, for the drybag method, any fridge will do but you will need a special vacuum sealer to do it right and that sealer is sold by the drybag company.
 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/dry-aged-standing-rib-roast-with-sage-jus-recipe/index.html

This is how I do it.
 

Yeah I read that option and read about a few cons so i'm leaning toward the bag. Having to change the towels or cheese cloth can be time consuming and messy. With the bags you set it and forget it.

Having the meat out in the open in a fridge that isn't dedicated can lead to cross contamination and is more prone to being infected by harmful bacteria.

With the dry bag the meat won't pickup orders and protects it from being contaminated by bacteria because is sealed. Plus I really like the idea of being able to leave it unattended for weeks at a time without having to do anything.

Since I travel often at work and like to travel this was a big plus as I won't have to try and time the aging around my schedule.
 
LGHT... I own the DVD of the show, and like everything else I used it as a guide, along with other sources, to tweak my process. I put the cheesecloth on, on day 2 after it sits in the dedicated fridge for the first day. I then take the cloth off, cover the roast with a huge bowl, and allow the meat to dry slowly. That is basically what you are looking to do, dry the beef out. Before I cook it, it sits at room temp for an hour after I cut off, well... how to say this nicely.... the leather. Then I season it up and slow cook it to rare which is the way I happen to like it. The primal cuts I buy are wet aged. They come wrapped in plastic and have aged since day 1 of the packaging so dry aging enhances the process. Maybe I'm a snob, but I do not buy meats laid out on the shelves. It helps to know the butcher/meat cutter.

I have not died yet.... I think..... :shocked: ! Most butchers just hang the meat, or shelve it in their refrigerators to dry anyway without any special prep involved. They basically let it air dry without any fussing. Same for steak houses.

I am NOT affiliated with this link, however, I am a satisfied customer and have asked questions of them. I post it here for your edification. Quite pricey, but NEVER disappointing. http://www.allenbrothers.com/

Not to be too much of an arse, but cross contamination is a result of foods (raw/cooked/etc) contacting each other, not from "air" drying. If you throw a chicken cutlet on that roast.... YIKES! Odors? Baking soda can help there, but then again, you have to watch what you are refrigerating. Dry aging will not be successful in the main refrigerator due to the frequent opening and closing of the door. Bacteria will grow in the bag too, if it finds a way, so that is not fool proof.

I'm only giving you my 2 cent experience from years of experimenting. Hope I helped somewhat. By the way, the reason a great dry aged steak costs so much.... Is because of the waste the shop incurs in dry aging. They have to cut away a good bit of product!
 
USMC8411 thanks for the tips, but I don't have a dedicated fridge so i'm looking for a way to dry age in my existing fridge. I'm not worried about opening / closing as I don't have any crumb snatchers at home so it only gets opened a few times a day if that.

Plus with the bags I won't have to worry about the meat picking up any orders from say some truffles or blue cheese etc. I think your way is probably better, but I'm looking for something a little easier that I can do without a dedicated fridge that's why after researching and found dry bags I went in that direction.

Thanks for posting the Alton links I think I've seen it before, but can't say for certain. I actually don't like how he cooks his steak. I think all the flipping looses too much heat and it ends up being dry.
 
LGHT, please let me know how the bag thing works out.... I may have to "adopt" that method and incorporate it into my process. I HAVE had some disappointing results following AB's directions sometimes, but as I wrote, I try it and then tweak it. I also subscribe to Cook's Country/Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. They are a wealth of knowledge. I'll try to find a link to how they recommend cooking steaks. HINT: They cook partially frozen cuts!

Either way LG, I hope the roast is phenomenal!!!! Post pics please! Yum yum yum....
 
Well my better half is a pastry chef so we have all types of cooks illustrated books and dvd's. I normally don't bother with them, but I do like the test kitchen dvd's we have. I'll have to find something about cooking steaks, but most of their info is cooking it in an oven and I hate being in the kitchen. Plus I'm still trying to figure out how to use the new induction / convection oven she had to have.

If I can ever get out and clean out the garage and may try and sneak in a freezer behind the fishing gear (she never goes near it because it's "stinky") and i'll really be ready to age a side of beef whole!
 
What I like about their approach, is how they deconstruct the recipes and then tweak them after lots of trials. The have an entire book on grilling and bbq, as well as one on roasts, steaks, and chops. What is disappointing though, is that they constantly update their own recipies!!! Making the books obsolete, but well worth it for the methods.

Gotta ALWAYS yield to the better half...BUT if you happen to come accross a fridge and make her a nice roast, you can't lose!

I saw those induction/convention ovens. Interesting. And good luck! When in doubt, read the directions! :shh: My old one gets the job done though. BUT I prefer the grill as well, even in the dead of winter. Lots and LOTS of charcoal!!!!
 
Well I tested my fridge that I wanted to try and dry age at home in, but because my fridge has relatively low levels of humidity (in the 30% range) and that's just too low.

As a result I found that I wouldn't get the same type of breakdown of enzymes to help form the all important glutamate amino acid if the humidity is in the 50-75% range. I can still use the bags to safely dehydrate the meat which will concentrate the flavor, but it's not true dry aging.

Looking to convert a small beverage cooler or fridge so I can keep RH a lot higher and get the meat in range to get good dry aged steaks. Here is a blog I found where a guy converted an un-used kegerator.

http://foodobsessity.blogspot.com/2008/05/dry-aging-beef.html
 
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