Aging beef

[expatgirl]

What's the best way to "age" beef in the refrigerator? Where I live overseas the beef could do with a bit. Someone told me to put the cuts in a pan and loosely cover with foil and leave in the fridge a few days. Or is this even feasible?

 

[auntdot]

Expat, you sure can.

Would put the meat on a rack over the pan however.

Remember a show by Alton Brown where he put paper towels over the meat, which he changed every day, and let the beast sit for three days or so.

Hope this helps.

 

[GB]

I know Alton did it, but I completely disagree with him that it can be done at home. It requires very accurate temp AND humidity control and you can't get that from a home fridge.

 

[GB]

Here is a similar conversation we had before.

 

[jminion]

I agree with Gb generaly but if your going to do it have a frig that is not used every day. Here is site that gives you the basics.
http://www.ivyhillhoa.org/bryan/Recipes/how_to_dry_age_beef_at_home.html

Three days is not enought time to achieve what you are looking for, 14 to 21 days is more like it.
Merle Ellis (Americas butcher as he was known) spent a week at my home a couple of years ago and we did discuss the process. Under stand this is controled rotting, you have tenderizing after 14 days or so and drying of the outter layer of the cut that will be removed before cooking.
Jim

 

[Constance]

I dated a guy who owned a restaurant for a while, and he showed me the cooler where they hung their beef to age. Did you know it actually gets mold on it?
It was so cool to go in the restaurant in the wee hours of the morning, when everything was dark, and raid the refrigerator.

 

[expatgirl]

Wow! Thanks for all of your input--I'm sure some of you know what "unaged" beef tastes like because that's what we get here---not indedible--just not that great (it's hard to describe the taste, quite honestly, but you know that you are not in Kansas anymore when you bite into it)-----and being a vegetarian here is an even worse option as produce is so expensive. However, I knew that I'd get some great answers here. So thanks again.