Sodium nitrate/nitrite vs dry age

[Rick]

I understand what your trying to do is to dry age without the UMAi?

Yes it can be done with a small investment of a fridge fan, wire rack and a few packs of cheesecloth.

I dont think i would add any cure to the surface of the meat for dry aging.

As you know making fresh sausage is different than cured and smoked or cured and dried types.

A few things to consider dry aging a prime cut. without the new process and UMAi bags. (no i dont work for UMAi)

SAFETY

When beef is dry-aged, there are three basic changes that occur to its structure:

Moisture loss is a major factor. A dry aged piece of beef can lose up to around 30 percent of its initial volume in water loss, which concentrates its flavor. A great deal of this moisture loss occurs in the outer layers of the meat, some of which get so desiccated that they must be trimmed before cooking. Thus the larger the piece of meat you start with (and the lower the surface area to volume ratio), the better your yield will be.

Tenderization occurs when enzymes naturally present in the meat act to break down some of the tougher muscle fibers and connective tissues. A well aged steak should be noticeably more tender than a fresh steak.

Flavor change is caused by numerous processes, including enzymatic and bacterial action. Properly dry-aged meat will develop deeply beefy, nutty, and almost cheese-like aromas.

I dont dry age large cuts of meat but i hope i’m helping some.

Have fun and be safe with it.