First Attempt, Prime Rib Eye FINISHED!

[Ron Pratt]

IMHO even a trimmed steak will smell a bit earthy unlike a freshly bloomed steak from the grocery store. Keep it mind your aged meat will have lost approximately 20% of the water content, so it will make for a more concentrated smell. You might like to know that when some commercial units dry age in bulk with the raw meat sitting on shelves they keep the moisture higher and some sub-primals do form mold on the exterior. At least by using a Drybag you won’t encounter that!

[Andy Starvaski]

toasty wrote:

.. I’d expect the spoilage to have a good chance to build up the smells that we humans can detect. In this case it wasn’t gasses. The bag didn’t swell like a balloon…[/quote]

Given the semi-permable nature of these bags- allowing air and moisture to escape- I don’t think you would ever see a build up/ballooning of gasses in the bag, no?

[Scott Mark]

Andy wrote:

quote :

toasty wrote:

.. I’d expect the spoilage to have a good chance to build up the smells that we humans can detect. In this case it wasn’t gasses. The bag didn’t swell like a balloon…

Given the semi-permable nature of these bags- allowing air and moisture to escape- I don’t think you would ever see a build up/ballooning of gasses in the bag, no?[/quote]

Andy, I don’t think I can give you any kind of authoritative answer. I’d guess that with a semi-permeable membrane an observable partial-pressure would have to occur, and there would be a certain visible partial pressure remaining inside the bag. I didn’t have that, and the meat happened to go bad in this one instance.

Based on the site where the spoilage was most noticeable (a cut in the fat/sinew between two major muscles), I don’t blame the drybag or my technique. It’s possible that the particular site in the sub-primal was “spoiling for a fight” and the act of dry-bagging it (rather than cooking it directly) gave it the time it needed to make allies.

[Doug Mias]

Ok, Question time!!!

45 days is the weekend of 5/5. Now, I will be out of town that weekend. Would having people over to eat the steaks the following weekend, 14th, be too long of an aging?

Is there such thing?

Should I steak up this puppy the day before i leave and freeze?

Anyone?

[Barry]

That is dedication! You won’t ruin that ribeye with an extra week. However, if you cut it before you leave, you won’t have to worry about that extra chore before company arrives the next weekend.

[Doug Mias]

aiki wrote:

quote :

That is dedication! You won’t ruin that ribeye with an extra week. However, if you cut it before you leave, you won’t have to worry about that extra chore before company arrives the next weekend.

This is my first outting, and it seems like FOREVER!!!

[Barry]

Yes, it does, and serving the steaks to company sure pares down your reserves. Get another one in the bag ASAP because you don’t want to wait another 45 days before having more!

[Scott Mark]

badwolf wrote:

quote :

Ok, Question time!!!

45 days is the weekend of 5/5. Now, I will be out of town that weekend. Would having people over to eat the steaks the following weekend, 14th, be too long of an aging?

Is there such thing?

Should I steak up this puppy the day before i leave and freeze?

Anyone?

There are many factors at work here.

First, and totally separate from drybagging, is the question of freezing. Many people say that freezing beef, no matter how fast (dry ice, for example) ruptures cells and so-on, and the cooked product leaks juice all over the plate and doesn’t grill well, etc, etc. I don’t know enough about the issue to get involved in the argument, but if you are serious about beef you should consider the discussion.

Secondly — for one week of overtime I’d rather let it drybag for one week rather than freeze it for one week. If you’ve got the correct equipment and the temperament to vac-seal your steaks and leave them in the fridge for a week I’d recommend that. But if you plan to put them on ice — I’d let them dry-bag for that week.

Third — you’ve settled on an aging of 45 days. That’s a long time. I tend to age about 30 days. It’s none of my business, but think about why you wanted to go 45 days instead of 30. Are you fulfilling that goal? Good!

Toasty

[Doug Mias]

I was under the impression that the sweet spot for rib eye was 40-45. This weekend will be 35. I can do them now if thats a good time.

[Barry]

You will find that we all have our preferences and share them amongst ourselves. We all can learn from each other to, of course, enjoy better steak.
Personally, there is a bit more beefy flavor in the 45 day ribeye as opposed to the 35 day.
As far as freezing, we vacuum pack the steaks and have not noticed a difference in flavor, texture or moisture between frozen and fresh.

[Ron Pratt]

I whole heartedly agree with aiki – it’s a personal taste and my taste is for 45 days, but seeing you paid for the meat – not me – then you make the decision what you and your family likes!

[Andy Starvaski]

35 days on a rib eye is fne. I wouldn’t go any sooner than 30 days, and I’ve gone slightly longer. (42)

Since this is your first dry age roast EVER, I say go for it now! Stop torturing yourself!

AND put another in the fridge right now and take that to 45 days so that you have something to compare it to! There will be plenty of more subprimals in your future that you can experiment with.

B)

Oh yea, we want pictures!!!!

[Doug Mias]

Ok Guys, sorry for the delay. Had the dinner, went out of town, got sick, threw my back out, and here I am.

35-36 days I think was the number.

My review, and the review of the guests.

I tasted more beef, not a crazy difference, but I did have more taste in my meat. It was DEFIANTLY more tender.

My wife, saw no difference whatsoever. She said it may have been more tender, but she eats them rare rare. That’s always tender.

Friend #1, he was just so happy to be there, I dont think he would have told me if it was dog food. he was very happy with the steak, said it was one of the best he had in a long time.

His wife agreed.

For the amount of time, I expected a little more. I dont know. Any suggestions?

Oh, here are some pictures.

edit to see if it shows up.

[Barry]

Maybe it’s on this end, but I received the email on your reply, but nothing shows up on the blog.
It’s about you enjoying your steak. More aging will impart a somewhat stronger flavor, but I’m seeing that the quality of the meat has a lot to do also. Of course, the price goes up with prime.
Keep up the work and you will find the “sweet spot” for what you like.

[Barry]

Ron, it’s showing up on the email only

[Author]

Posts