Started my first dry age steaks

[dibiase]

I just have to say this forum and it's members are awesome. I found it looking for a new smoker but I got so much more than a great smoker. A few months with the 3D and some awesome smokes and now I'm dry aging my own steaks. I read almost every post in this section so I'm pretty confident it will go well. I'm going with ribeye and I'm going for about 30 days. My birthday is about 30 days a way so I figured would celebrate with some awesome steaks.

I've had dry aged steaks before at some nice steak houses and love them. The meat market I usually buy from does a 14 day dry age on their steaks and they do taste better than the grocery store but they charge $18 a pound.  I got the choice ribeye for under $9.  The UMAi bags aren't that much so I will come out way ahead.

Now the long wait begins. 

 

[DivotMaker]

It's a great way to go, Chris!  Did you get a whole ribeye (primal cut), or individual sliced steaks?  The best way is the whole cut, since you have to trim the rind.  Then, when you slice the aged cut, the interior is perfect.

 

[dibiase]

I did buy the whole cut. 

 

[SconnieQ]

I have the umai bags, but have yet to use them. I plan to go 45 days minimum with a whole ribeye. Maybe even more. Depends on your preference for earthy, mushroomy, beefy funk. I like pretty bold flavor. I think 45 days will not be overly funky for me.

 

[Walt]

I have found, the longer I have aged them the better they were. 45 is now my minimum 60 is my normal & 73 has been my high water mark so far but it was absurdly good. I might try longer soon.

 

[SconnieQ]

I have found, the longer I have aged them the better they were. 45 is now my minimum 60 is my normal & 73 has been my high water mark so far but it was absurdly good. I might try longer soon.

I'll try 60 days then.

 

[dibiase]

I thought about going longer but I'm not sure I can hold out that long for my first one.  I think I'm going to stick with 30 for the first one and maybe progress from there.  Maybe, 30,45, then 60 to find what I like best.

 

[SconnieQ]

I thought about going longer but I'm not sure I can hold out that long for my first one.  I think I'm going to stick with 30 for the first one and maybe progress from there.  Maybe, 30,45, then 60 to find what I like best.

I'm very patient. But sounds like you've got a birthday deadline!

 

[dibiase]

Well the results are in, I ended up aging for 34 days.  I have to say the results were amazing and I'm going to start aging another batch of steaks soon.  I might go with porterhouse next.

 

[DivotMaker]

Not sure how I missed this, Chris!  How'd the steaks taste?  Pretty darn good, I bet!   They look really good!

 

[dibiase]

They came out fantastic Tony.  My wife and I has some again this past weekend and I'm still blown away by how good they were.  I'm cutting the next batch this weekend.  Went with porterhouse steaks this time.

 

[DivotMaker]

Fantastic, Chris!  How do you plan to cut the Porterhouse?  Do you have a meat bandsaw, or meat hacksaw? 

 

[dibiase]

I'm going to use a meat hacksaw,  not ready to pony up for a band-saw at this point.  I think I'd have to cut a lot of steaks to make that deal pay off.

 

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, Chris, a butcher's bandsaw would be pretty pricey for a few steaks!  I was just asking because I've know several guys that process a lot of deer and other game that have them.  I'd probably trim that sucker, pack in in a cooler, and take it to my local butcher shop to slice for me!  You'll get clean, uniform steaks, and they'll probably do it for free, if it's somewhere you buy from!

 

[dibiase]

I got them cut up this weekend but I can say I won't do it again with the hack saw.  It was a lot more work than I was expecting.  For now I think I will stick with rib-eye and new york strips going forward.

 

[DivotMaker]

If you do Porters again, Chris, try my suggestion of taking them to a butcher shop...easy peasy!

 

[SconnieQ]

If you do Porters again, Chris, try my suggestion of taking them to a butcher shop...easy peasy!

You'd have to be pretty good friends with your butcher. Most butchers would be concerned about contaminating their equipment with E Coli, Salmonella, etc., not knowing the source or history of your meat. The extra cleaning and sanitizing would not be worth it to a butcher, unless you are real pals.

 

[DivotMaker]

You'd have to be pretty good friends with your butcher. Most butchers would be concerned about contaminating their equipment with E Coli, Salmonella, etc., not knowing the source or history of your meat. The extra cleaning and sanitizing would not be worth it to a butcher, unless you are real pals.

20 bucks, under the table, makes fast friends.  ;D ;D