Dry age meat at home is a great way to always have restaurant quality with at home costs. The reason why dry aged meat is so expensive to purchase at a restaurant is because of reduced yields, trimmed loss and the time the process takes. The process of dry aging came about in the middle ages as a method of preservation. Today dry aging is used as a way to enhance the flavors from within your meat. Before, dry aging was done using caves and cellars, today dry aging is done in the fridge. The problem is, there is risk associated with dry aging, but with the development of the Steak Locker the risk is minimised.
Steak Locker have created the world's first SMART technology dry aging fridge perfect for dry aging your meat without the risk of spoilage. This is because it constantly monitors the temperature and the humidity of your fridge to ensure you get the best results from your steak. Here are some best practices and tips on how to always get quality results from your dry age meat at home.
Tips to dry age meat at home successfully
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It’s best to use the full 16 – 30 pounds, 6 to 12 bone-in sub-primal cut with the fat cap intact to dry age for a longer duration of time.
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A Bone-In cut can dry age for as long as 200 days, where a boneless cut should only dry age for less than 35 days. The bones and fat will assist to develop the desired flavor profiles of nuttiness, mushroom or umami.
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If the beef has been previously frozen, be sure to thaw it completely while wrapped in butcher paper or vacuum sealed in the regular home refrigerator prior to placing it in the Steak Locker. Blot the exterior with paper towels prior to placing it in the locker. A fresh product in the locker will create more humidity than one that has been in there for more than a few weeks.
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Two ways to process these larger cuts of beef: First is to dry age it to the desired length of time, butcher it up into steaks, then vacuum seal and freeze the steaks for up to six months. Or, place the cut of beef into the Steak Locker, then cut off a steak or two every ten to fifteen days to experience how the flavor develops over time. With this process, it’s best to brush a thick layer of fat onto the cut side to protect it as it ages further and will not add additional waste when the remaining pellicle is removed. Any tallow or rendered fat can be used, like beef, bacon or butter.
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Dry aged steaks will always cook faster, it’s best to use a thermometer to take the steaks to 120 degrees. Once it rests for five to ten minutes and is tented with aluminum foil, it will continue to the desired 125 degrees for medium rare.
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Always use a Steak Locker. We are committed to providing a quality product with a knowledgeable staff to assist in all dry aging projects.
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Enjoy!
Dry Age Meat At Home Taste Time Frame
The process of dry aging does not technically begin until after around 21 days, and in most cases you won't taste any signature dry age flavours until 30 days into the process.
30 days- A common choice of time for dry aging, by the 30 day mark the meat's taste and texture should have begun to develop to those typical of dry aged steak. The typical flavors of dry aged steak are umami and nutty notes.
50 days- By 45-50 days your steak should have developed much stronger flavours. These sharper flavours radiate notes of blue cheese. The fat surrounding the steak will begin to change in flavor before the rest of the meat does.
90 days- By this point a white crust should have developed around the steak protecting the meat. This crust can be described as similar to that of the rind of some cheeses. This crust will be removed before eating. At this point you can expect some really unique and funky flavors you are unlikely to have ever tasted before.
You can read more about the timeline of dry aging in the Steak Locker in our previous blog article called ‘how long can you keep dry aged steak in the fridge’.
Overview of dry age meat at home ‘mis-steaks to avoid’
There you have it, the ‘’mis-steaks’’ to avoid when you dry age meat at home with Steak Lockers meat aging fridge. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries. You can read our favourite dry age meat at home recipe ‘butter aged steak’ in our blog. We would love to see your results so please do tag us on social media.
