First Use – Do I have a problem?

[Thea]

Chris,
First question: Did you purchase this piece of meat in original processor cryovac packaging? Too many customers buy butcher packed meat at this time of year. If the meat has been handled, touched and trimmed, it may have been jaccarded, or blade tenderized. This meats the the interior of the meat is not longer intact and sterile, so must be immediately cooked. It is unsuitable for dry aging.
If you purchased a processor packed subprimal, as is recommended, and you transferred it untouched, untrimmed into UMAi Dry, then you should be good to go.
The meat will begin to darken to a mahogany brown, and harden gradually over the first several weeks. For best bond, you want to start the dry aging meat side down, fat cap up, then flip carefully after 7-10 days.
The best indication of spoilage is to sniff the meat surface through the UMAi Dry membrane and trust your nose. We are well programmed to distinguish between the forest-y, blue cheese-y funk of dry aging and just plain rotting meat.
In terms of color, grey or greenish-blueish coloration is a bad sign. However, if you are following all the recommendations, you should not have that problem.
Don’t worry about air pockets, or release as the meat ages and shrinks away from the membrane. UMAi Dry is still providing the necessary protected dry aging environment. Just be sure to age in a regularly used modern frost free kitchen refrigerator located in a room temperature environment.
For further help, check out our Help Center: umaidry.com/help or the great Facebook UMAi® Salami, Charcuterie and Dry Aged Steak group.