Cooking Methods

[Matthew Null]

Hello everyone,
This is my 2nd drybag and this time I did a subprimal NY strip for 45 days. Everything seemed to go great during the aging process, but I was not thrilled with the first taste test. The meat didn’t seem as tender as it should be and seemed dry.
Here is my current process: bring steaks to room temp, season with kosher salt, fresh grd pepper, and garlic powder. Using a charcoal gril at about 450 degrees I put steak on one side for 3 to 4 min, turn for another 3 to 4 min. Let rest 5 min before serving giving a nice med rare. I don’t use a thermometer but it had a warm, dark red center. Any recommendations on the process and could this effect the outcome? Or could this be from the dry aging process? I currently don’t use a fan when aging to circulate, just a wire rack on bottom shelf.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
Matt

[Ron Pratt]

Matt,
Dry aged steaks – especially ones aged 45 days cook much faster than un-aged ones. Personally I think you over cooked them which caused further drying. Not sure how long you left them sit on the counter but bringing them up to room temp takes time and even if they reached room temp that would only be say 72° or so. Try the hot tub method and you’ll just be searing to finish. Your telltale dark center will be gone. Also cooking to time doesn’t work as well as cooking to temperature. While a good fast reading thermometer may seem expensive ruined steaks are expensive as well.
Ron

[Ron Pratt]

BTW – here’s the thread I started 17 months ago that explains hot tubbing. It really works!
http://www.drybagsteak.com/forum/10-other-recipes/130-hot-tubbing-steaks-definition-thereof

[Barry]

RRP hit the nail on the head! I try and try to tell everyone that asks me about cooking steak or roasts that temp. NOT cooking time is CRITICAL in great steaks and roasts. Also I just tried the “hot tubbing” or “sous vide” cooking method mentioned by RRP and toasty. Unbelievably great results and I am a die hard smoker/charcoal griller. I was really amazed with the results.

Barry

[Scott Mark]

barry593 wrote:

quote :

RRP hit the nail on the head! I try and try to tell everyone that asks me about cooking steak or roasts that temp. NOT cooking time is CRITICAL in great steaks and roasts. Also I just tried the “hot tubbing” or “sous vide” cooking method mentioned by RRP and toasty. Unbelievably great results and I am a die hard smoker/charcoal griller. I was really amazed with the results.

Barry

Congratulations! You’ve just taken your first step into a larger world.

[Barry]

Hi Matt,
Sous-vide is a great technique. I wouldn’t call it a larger world – heck I’ve been warming vacuum sealed cooked foods this way for years, just never thought to actually cook using it. It is a great technique, don’t get me wrong, but it has it’s limitations as all methods do. The rule that should reign for all meats is temp. This is easily done with Sous-vide but lacks in flavor layering/profiles such as BBQ; much more difficult to maintain temps, but to answer your question temp.,not seasoning, and yes Sous-vide would have knocked your socks off. Also dry aging with full 360 degree air flow is better than putting the meat on a rack.

Barry

[Ron Pratt]

barry593 wrote:

quote :

. Also dry aging with full 360 degree air flow is better than putting the meat on a rack.

Barry

LOL – please explain how you suspend a chunk-o-cow 360° without even touching even a wire rack!

[Scott Mark]

RRP wrote:

quote :

barry593 wrote:

quote :

. Also dry aging with full 360 degree air flow is better than putting the meat on a rack.

Barry

LOL – please explain how you suspend a chunk-o-cow 360° without even touching even a wire rack!

Use a TALL rack!

[Barry]

360 means all the way around right smart guys??? If you have an openwire shelf with plenty of room above and below then you have 360 air flow right smarties??? All I am saying is that most people will age on top of a cake cooling rack instead of the way it is shown in the demos.

[Ron Pratt]

Barry – guess I took your statement too literally when you said you did not put your meat on a rack! But now you said you do. BTW I too believe in 360° exposure except where it slightly touches my wire rack.

This was actually a desk top organizer which I cut the four legs down to fit the bottom shelf in my refrig.

[Barry]

Sorry Ron,
Thats what I meant – I should have specified. If you don’t mind my asking, how many days on the beef in your photo? I needed to “modify” my dedicated fridge because it came with glass shelves. I did exactly what you did on the shelves! I don’t get into things like that on this forum because of the liability.

Barry

[Ron Pratt]

Barry – no need to apologize…we’re friends here! I looked back at that photo I had attached and at that time it was just 18 days old and headed longer at that time. If you need some comparison photos all of my subsequent ones of NY loins and rib eyes that were all taken at the end – IOW I have some 21 day, 28 35 45 and 60.

BTW I’m not sure what you meant about liability issues…isn’t this forum a free exchange of aging and cooking experiences?

Ron

[Charlie]

Matt,

You can get a small battery operated fan at Camper world for about 15 bucks.

It will run for about 40 days on D batterys.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/fridgecool-fan-with-onoff-switch/38134

Charlie B)

[Barry]

Hi Ron,
Sorry I took so long to respond. By liability I meant I don’t want people trying to hold this web site, Umai or anyone else liable for any ideas they may read at this website/forum. Cold smoking of meat for example or the post I put up on dry ice; these are things someone may injure or burn themselves doing if not careful, and I would hate to see someone try to exploite anyone else for an idea. I know that may sound paranoid, but you know how some people can be…Ow I spilled hot coffee on myself and now Mac Donalds owes me $10 mill! Ridiculous.

BTW…as you well know from your BGE experiences smoked meats are really good and they can be cold smoked such as steaks, pork and poltry or smoked in an indoor smoker before hot tubbing. A lot of people have never had smoked meat and I’m sure you would agree they are worth a try. I would never even eat a non smoked pork rib anymore, but you bet I’m gonna try one hot tubbed after cold smoking! IMHO even aged beef can be improved by smoking as long as it’s a Very light smoking. Anyhoo…….

The liability thing…I am probably going overboard with it, I just don’t want anyone getting hurt. I was thinking of putting up a whole post segemented with smoking how to’s on the regular grill, cold smoking and indoor smokers. You are the moderator here, what do you think?

Barry

[Matthew Null]

Thanks everyone for the responses, I will try the hot tub and let you know how it works!! Also Barry and Ron’s comments back and forth are quite humorous!!!

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