The Merits of Dry-Aged Beef

chad said:
I agree with Jason.
Cost and availability are problems.
1. Brisket is not exactly a premium cut of beef. Dry aging brisket is, in the normal world, a monumental waste of time. Then it is slow cooked to "death". That's not to say that it wouldn't taste wonderful.

2. Steaks (all varieties), on the other hand, truly benefit from dry aging. We used to dry age prime rib and other cuts in the restaurant. This was mainly for the managers.:mrgreen:

3. We have wet-aged brisket with some success and have been pleased with the results. We usually timed out the aging for 40-50 days.
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Chad is that 40-50 day time frame from the date you buy it or from the date you buy it or the date it was packed?

Also if I could not find out the pack date is there any rule of thumb on how long I should age it for?

Thanks
Chris
 
eheath said:
Dry aged carcases are hung in a cooler at high humidity. During this time natural enzymes and bacteria in the meat do their thing and tenderize the meat. As mentioned, there is some loss of moisture within the meat. Also, the outside of the carcass gets moldy, ugly, and nasty looking.

Dry aging is expensive because of the costs involved in storing the meat for a couple of weeks, then you have to pay someone to cut all the mold off (losing some of the meat in the process), then you have to pay someone to butcher it.

Wet aging costs a lot less because you just slaughter, butcher, cryovac, and ship, plus you don't lose any meat to mold.

I've had dry aged beef and can't understand how a person could prefer wet aged, but supposedly some people do.
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It's interesting, I have been very surprised to see how many people prefer wet-aged steaks in blind tastings comparing one farm to another. It's striking how much flavor and texture can vary by breed, diet, growing region, plus the type and length of aging (and relative talent of the farm and butcher). That's what makes me so curious about whether some brisket recipes would be better with one "varietal" of steak or another, esp. one that's dry-aged.

I think it would be fun to try a comparison. Yet another reason to find that smoker on Craig's List.
 
chris1237 said:
Chad is that 40-50 day time frame from the date you buy it or from the date you buy it or the date it was packed?

Also if I could not find out the pack date is there any rule of thumb on how long I should age it for?

Thanks
Chris
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Aging is based on the kill/packing date which is found on the case. You must have this date or trust your butcher. I use a lot of different butchers and don't trust a single one of them to give me the correct date (sometimes they don't know, sometimes they think they know, sometimes they guess, and sometimes they outright lie). For me, I have to see the label on the case to believe it.

If you shop at Sam's or Costco, ask if you can go through their case stock in the back. The Sam's near me labels determines the expiry date on their labels by adding 30 days to the pack date. I still don't trust it though because I've watched them mislabel pieces before.
 
I'd like to try some dry aged beef one day...for the most part I get choice cuts from Costco or my local butcher. For comps I only cook brisket flats from Costco...though I did a Wagyu a few months back that was killer. Not sure of a local source out here in the boonies for dry aged beef...maybe next time we're out and about I'll pop in to a shop that carries it. :razz:
 
I don't know of anyone that has used dry aged beef in a comp although I'm sure it's been done. Wet aging is the norm for all the reasons listed above. My understanding of "true" dry aged beef is a little freaky to say the least. Controlled temp and humidity and creating a crust that has to be removed before packaging (mold and fungus). I have eaten a dry aged steak and they are fantastic although I have doubts about the fact that it would help a brisket! These guys use to offer a line of dry aged products to the food service industry...http://www.buckheadbeef.com/products.htm...I assume they still do.
 
I would love to get my hands on a brisket that was from an aged carcass. I honestly wouldn't know what to expect, exciting.
 
Hello All,

I have been looking around for this answer, but no luck. Can you dry age beef that came from a vac-pack?

I have heard from unreliable sources that you cannotm and that vac-pack beef has a salt in the liquid surrounding the meat.

Can anyone verify if this is so?

Thanks,

Ted
 
i have a tutorial on how to dry age your own beef if anyone is interested. just pm me your email.


and yes, you can dry age cryovac'd meat.
 
Wonderful information guys thanks.

My butcher is great and will hold whatever meat I buy from him for as long as I need him to. Yesterday I was walking by his shop and saw two beautiful briskets just about to be rolled so I walked in and saved one of them from it's fate. I told him I didn't need it for a few weeks and to hold it till then.

I'm wondering if I should get another vac-packed and have him hold it for a month or two? Would it be better to have it hung without?
 
We use to hang whole beef in tobacco barn an it would hang for months , like from Nov- Jan
 
Figure between $20. to $30. lb for good, prime, dry aged steaks at a good butcher shop.
 
leanza said:
Figure between $20. to $30. lb for good, prime, dry aged steaks at a good butcher shop.
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yes. A few weeks ago, I sent my wife to the butcher shop to pick up 4 ribeye's for us and her aunt and uncle.

She came back with 4 bone-in, prime, dry aged ribeyes. Probably the best steak I've ever eaten. Ran me about $120 for 4, cut about an inch and a quarter (per the butcher).
 
This seems very straightforward. 34 degrees and 75% humidity. I wonder about salt blocks that you see some aging rooms have. Salt blocks from Nepal. Himalayan salt block
 
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