With (Dry) Age comes flavor. Steakager home journal

[Potkettleblack]

Last December, I got a Steakager to put in the fridge. When it came, wife and I came to the conclusion that it won't work in our fridge for a couple of reasons. First, our fridge is always too full and second, we have a cat who likes to chew cables and the power corn for the Steakager would have had to loop for about two feet.

I figured I'd get a dorm fridge and put it in a closet where we wouldn't see it. A comedy of errors ensued that left the very skeptical wife very sympathetic to my desire to make this work and giving in to me putting the bigger mini fridge in the dining room. I finally got around to that yesterday and put a choice ribeye subprimal (minus two very thick steaks) on a hopefully flavorful journey.

I'm hoping to go 45 days on this one, but I might put it at 28 or 30. We'll see how patient I can be.

[Potkettleblack]

Some ideas for Steakager 2. Wifi or Bluetooth connectivity so I could see the monitor without opening the fridge. And a slightly different shelf allocation. I'd like to bisect the ribeye and go top and bottom shelf. I'm not quite sure that will work.

[GadjetGriller]

Love the Bluetooth idea it could automatically connect up to your phone when you come in range and tell you all the vital info!! good luck with the journey and hopefully a very tasty final outcome!!

[RonB]

This looks like fun - keep us posted.

[ecowper]

Can't wait to see the outcome. This has me thinking maybe I want to age my own too

[GadjetGriller]

not trying to hijack your post but wanted to contrast your beefier (yes pun intended!) unit to mine (still thank its gonna work though)

[Potkettleblack]

The flap at the top front of the box on mine, is just hinged. I might put something in to close the flap more permanently. Or on a temporary basis, a piece of duct tape.
You have a handle on the plastic window at the front (and a sticker).

[Potkettleblack]

Mine has neither, and just kind of settles in place, no hinge or anything. I have a side window that you don't seem to have. I guess I ordered earlier than you. I was backer 251.

[GadjetGriller]

Potkettleblack want to see the fun (or frustration) I had putting this thing together?? Watch my youtube Video (I warn you its a long one)

https://youtu.be/r4Pw74FCw1Q

[Fine Swine]

This has been on my list. Can't wait to here the results. Shoot for the 45 day mark. On occasion, I get prime dry aged steaks for special days. Often wondered how choice grades would turn out??? I know Kenji has some info on dry-aging in his new book.

[Potkettleblack]

Yeah, given the (somewhat unwarranted) price markup that dry aging adds, I don't think any retail outfits do it with choice.

This is, as I said, a proof of concept.

[Jerod Broussard]

Jason King aka BackyardBBQ did one for over 50 days.

The only Prime steak I ever had was dry-aged. Not my cup of tea (I'm actually drinking a cup of tea right now). But down right pretty amazing process!

[Potkettleblack]

45 is, according to JKLA, the start of the cheesy funkiness, and the most common preference among his tasters. So, that's what I'm going for. After 28 is where he started to see some funk, and funk is the proof of concept, I think.

[RonB]

Potkettleblack - for me, the term "funk" or any of it's derivatives do not belong in the same sentence as "food". Just sayin...

[Potkettleblack]

By funk, talking umami flavors beyond what fresh beef has. Nut and cheese flavors.

You kinda have to try it to see if it's for you. Otherwise, keep it under 28, and get tender.

Noticed a cultural divide. In NY where I grew up, prized. In St. Louis, dismissed. In Chicago, both schools.

[Potkettleblack]

Not for everyone the longer aged steaks.

[GadjetGriller]

Great Potkettleblack Now I want to see what the nut or cheese flavor taste like! Although Ill probably only cut off a 3 inch section to stay in the machine for 45+ days in case I dont like the funk!!

[GadjetGriller]

Of Course it depends on the thickness of the meat. But I read that somebody (I know I do great research lol) figured out that 28 days was the optimum time, you got enough dehydration with the minimal crust (less meat loss due to trimming), then "they" decided that 21 days was optimal!?!? Now I'm finding some say that as little as 4 days is good?? I doubt I'll ever go over 28 days (most likely do 21) just cause I have no patience lol

[Potkettleblack]

In JKLA I trust. Of course, I have a meme about excessive Kenji citing on my work computer. 4 days isn't gonna do much for you, on a big cut like a partial subprimal.

[Potkettleblack]

A hasty photo at two days.
Something is clearly happening.

[Potkettleblack]

So, I called it yesterday at 28 days. It came out looking like this:


Kinda ugly. Hard. Earthy smelling. Not so much rotten, but just funky, like mushrooms or mild fish sauce.


This was the homebrew salt packet. I should have opened it, but it had salt crystals growing outside it. Really cool crystals, but easily disposed. Next time, I think I'm gonna put a few of these in. I used straight Kosher salt (mortons) rather than fancy himalayan salt. I don't think there would be any difference, to be honest.


One end. Man, whatever spinalis there was, I was not optimistic on this. Next, a 109A or 107 prime rib. JKLA says that's the best way to do it. I might call David Burke's Primehouse to find out what cut of Strip will produce the best yield. I'm a bit more into strip than ribeye. Don't get me wrong, I love the ribeye.


The bottom. Here's where you see why you really want a bone on sub primal. So much craggy, so easily avoided with bones on there. Would reduce the waste by a ton.


Give it a shave. I may have shaved a bit too aggressively, but the dark and the brown meat had penetrated quite a bit.


Decided to cut into 2" steaks, and then trim the steaks, since I could see the cross section. Went a bit faster. Doing this again, I would trim the ends to 3" and then the middles to 1.5 - 2".


There's the final yield. The small one is the 2" from the thin end.

So, I decided to smoke a couple up. The second smallest for the wife, and one nice one for me. Reverse sear with the Mo-Smoke Pouch filled with hickory. dry brined for an hour or two, mine on the grill first. When mine hit 85*, I put the wife's on. They reached 105* at about the same time, and when mine hit 120*, wife's was close to 128*, which was where I wanted them. Removed from the grill, while I cooked the corn. Here's my steak hanging out, post smoke, pre-sear.



After the corn and the sear,


And I'm most proud of this shot:


I have not done of ton of reverse sear, and have not done it quite properly before. This one... like SV.

I think the next one, I will finish on the salt block (something else I haven't used yet).

So, how was it. The meat is incredibly rich. Not as tender as I was expecting, but had a wonderful density. Very filling.

I want a better sear, so likely gonna either use the salt block, or take my pan outside and sear over the sear burner after making the pan 600*+...

As I said, next time, 109A or 107 Prime Rib, Prime.

[Jerod Broussard]

If I zoomed on one of those first few photos for my wife she wouldn't eat beef anymore. Just me taking a slightly pale pork loin out the fridge that has been curing for 17 days grosses her out.

[Danjohnston949]

I think for Dry Aging to be Succesful, You have to start with "Non Chemically Enhanced Aged Meat". Damned hard to find if You don't have a Local Meat Processor! I don't believe you will find it in a Big Box Store or Chain Super Market! In addition to Time and Temperature, Humidity has to be Controled!
Our Local Market's (Prime Cut Meats) Supplier quit doing it? It was Great While It Lasted! Nothing Better than Dry Aged Sirloin Steak!
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[Potkettleblack]

This was successful. I don't think humidity is actually a problem with dry aging, so much as with charcuterie. At least, that's the gospel according to Kenji. The reason I'm going from a choice ribeye to a 109A prime prime rib, is the waste factor, not the taste factor. I pulled at 28 because I'm taking next week off, and wanted the fridge to be open for bacon making and the steak aging. Have to check configuration of the fridge, but I think I could fit a small slab of pork belly in a bag for a wet cure along with the SteakAger.