When it comes to dry aging, the process is known for being high risk as it relies heavily on the perfect temperature and humidity levels to get the best results. This is one of the reasons why dry aging is seen as a speciality , often only sold in high end restaurants and butcher shops. Today we share some of our top dry aging tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your dry aging at home.
Dry aging tip No.1 Cuts of beef
- Only dry age a whole muscle sub-primal
- If possible, only dry age bone in cuts of beef
- For most cuts, use lower humidity like 65-70% for the first half of the process and higher humidity like 68-72% for the second half.
Dry aging tip No.2 Less is more
- Remember the phrase ‘less is more’. This goes for seasoning your dry aged meats. Our top dry aging tips are to use salt, pepper, and a quick squeeze of lemon after cooking. This is because dry aging naturally amplifies the flavors in your meat. If you add too much seasoning, you can overpower the existing flavor which makes the whole process of dry aging practically pointless.
- Try to keep things simple, no need to marinate, salt or butter. The point is to enjoy the naturally enhanced flavor.
- Condiments: do not use ketchup.
- If you do decide to marinate your dry aged meat or you fancy adding a complimentary sauce to your dish, we’ve got you covered. Check out our dry aged steak marinade and complimentary sauce ideas blog. Here we share our top 3 recipes that are the perfect compliment to a dry aged steak.
Dry aging tip No.3 Trust the process
- Ensure proper equipment; always use a safety glove, a sharp 12-inch butcher knife and small bone saw. To find out more about butchering your meat, take a look at our ‘trimming dry aged beef guide’.
- There are different meat selections; Prime, Choice, Select. Then the non-graded meat selections; Grass-fed, Black Angus, Pork, Lamb, Poultry & Fish. The non-graded selections have different dry aging times and have a different intramuscular fat content that does not need as long of an aging time. For example, a duck only needs to be aged for a few days and dry aged pork must leave the skin and fat cap in tacked. You can learn more about the dry aging process in one of our previous blog articles.
- When the dried pellicle of the beef has been removed and trimmed after the dry age process, it can be placed in a saucepan to render the fat to make beef tallow for use just like bacon fat.
- Near the bones and in the fat are where the highest flavor content is found.
- Dry aged products cook in half the time, taking its internal temperature often is key and stop the cooking process 5 degrees early to let it rest and cook the remaining time off heat by tenting with aluminum. Learn the best way to cook dry aged steak here.
Dry aging tip No.4 use Steak Locker
- Ensure that the product going into the Steak Locker has been patted dry with a paper towel and any hanging bits should be removed prior to the aging process.
- The forced fan air created inside the Steak Locker is key to forming the perfect pellicle on the sub-primal cut of beef.
- Making sure your dry aging fridge is carefully cleaned and maintained is crucial in ensuring the smooth running of your fridge. It also means you will get the best results each and every time. To learn more read our blog on dry aged meat fridge cleaning and maintenance do’s and don’ts.
