Re:Meaty smells and want advice for a an aging fridge

[Scott Mark]

evil4blue wrote:

quote :

All aging should happen just above freezing and no warmer than 40F. Open air dry aging 60-70% humidity. Drybag dry aging you want the humidity as low as your fridge will let you, probably ~35-40%. The lower the humidity, the faster the moisture releases from the drybagged meat.

Cold Temp = reduced chance of spoilage
Low Humidity = faster dehydration = more beefy flavor
More Time = more tenderness and more dehydration

Higher humidity for open air aging = more controlled shrinkage

I was just about to ask about this apparent contradiction! I was just looking at the section on dry-aging in Modernist Cuisine and it was recommending high humidity, contrary to what drybaggers are recommending.

It all makes sense now!

And, sigh, there’s a whole section on the chemistry of dry-aging and it explains that I’ve probably over-aged the venison, and why pork doesn’t benefit from long dry-aging, etc. Could have saved an experiment or two if I’d borrowed the book sooner!

Oh well, no real harm done – just opportunity cost because I could have been aging more steaks!