share your culinary expertise...

Help this trailer park foodie with a question... I always see fancy steak houses brag about their "aged" beef and steaks. Apparently this "aging" process improves the quality and or taste somehow. funny, because I've smelled meat that sat around for a few days and it didn't smell like something I wanted to eat. I'm obviously missing something which brings me to my questions.

1) what's involved with aging beef and how does it improve quality / taste?

2) if all you need to do to improve the quality of beef is to let it agr then why doesn't every restaurant do it? Denny's can improve their menu simply by letting their steak sit around a collect dust a few extra days..or not?

Part of what happens when beef gets aged is that it dries out. With the excess water gone, all the beefy goodness flavor gets concentrated into a smaller bundle of meat.

Also, aging breaks the muscle proteins down so that the beef gets more tender over time. Of course, there is a fine line between aging and decomposing, so keep an eye (and a nose) out.

If all else fails, you can always use the "aged" beef to make Steak and Cheese Subs.


Rick

The temp and humidity have to remain a constant. Heres a quick vid on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvamm_YgR50

J

And yea, the best steak hoagie I ever ate, plan on making a few more. I know it sounds as stupid as making a hamburger out of kobe beef, that would be just totally ludicrous nobody would ever....oh wait. Never mind

J

Hubby bought a 3 bone in Standing Rib Roast from Dominick's...Ranchers Reserve Choice...last Thursday. About 6 lbs. He adapted his recipe from a combo from Alton Brown and Paula Deen.
This is what he does....rack in the bottom of a glass baking dish..place the roast(wrapping removed) on the rack...cover w/cheesecloth...place in the back on the bottom shelf of the fridge, took it out Sunday AM...trimmed off the dry edges, let it sit on the counter for 1 hr...bring to room temp. Then he uses a hand held steel blade tenderizer all over the meat, rubs the roast with olive oil, then a rub consistng of fresh cracked black pepper, pink salt and garlic powder. Then he roasts it using Paula Deen's recipe(check out FN for the roasting instructions)no it does not use BUTTER! This is the only way he know makes a standing rib roast for our family.

Aging beef as was stated before drys out the beef. However it's the marbling (the fat streaks) that is the main helper here. However, it DOES depend upon the grade of the cow before you puts him on the drying rack. For most folks, choice grades fare well also the prime cuts as both have a good amount of marbling which imparts moistness and flavor to the meat.

YES, they will shrink as the moisture is pulled out of the meat intensifying the marbling and the beefy flavor. Heres a couple pics from a tenderloin i aged. It was from a chice grade.