“My favorite animal is steak.” - Fran Lebowitz
During the winter holiday, my husband began learning how to dry age steaks. G loves food shows, and learning how to make the best steaks, so he decided to take it up a notch and try this process at home.
To give you a little back story on dry aging, the technique began in the 1950s. The process allows the enzymes in the beef to naturally break down the muscle tissue. This results in improved texture and taste of the meat. The dry aging process is for the patient chef. G prefers the 45 day age, because the steak reaches it’s peak flavor.
Below G and I are sharing our experience with the dry aging process. Even though I do not eat red meat whatsoever, it’s been a cool experience watching my husband enjoy his new hobby, and I appreciate the labor of love.
Step 1: Dry Aging
G enjoys a good Ribeye, so he chose a rib roast from our local butcher. A Rib Roast contains the Ribeye steak.
Once we picked out our beef of choice, G immediately put the meat into a speciality dry aging bag. We then vacuumed sealed the bag to ensure that all the air is removed.
We then put it in a dedicated fridge, where the steak is placed on a wire rack and sits for 45 days. Placing the beef on a wire rack, helps moisture evaporate from all sides.
45 Day Dry Aged Rib Roast
14 pound Rib Roast, after the 45 day dry aging process (top view).
14 pound Rib Roast, after the 45 day dry aging process (bottom view).
Step 2: Perfect Timing
Once the beef reached the desired dry aging time of 45 days, G removed it from the bag.
We then placed the beef on a cutting board, and began slicing the rib roast into individual steaks. For the Bone in Ribeye, G cut in between the bones of his Rib Roast, and each steak was approximately 3-4 inches thick.
After all the steaks have been cut, we set aside the ones G would be cooking immediately, and began placing a dry coffee rub on them a few hours prior to cooking. The leftover steaks were placed into freezer bags, which can be stored for up to a year.
Step 3: The Perfect Cook
G prefers the Lodge Cast Iron cooking method for his steaks, see the video below for a quick tutorial!
Cast Iron Bone in Ribeye, sautéed baby kale with lemon, olive oil, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Shop below for the kitchen items we use to make this delicious meal!
We hope you enjoyed this as much as G & I did!
XO,
Analise & G