# Dry Age at Home



## orangehero (Mar 17, 2019)

I was wondering if anyone dry ages beef at home and can give me some advice. 

I have a small wine fridge that I would like to convert into a chamber for dry aging beef. I can set it up for precise temperature and humidity control with controllers and a small humidifier. Has anyone done something similar and have advice on the ideal parameters to set it up, equipment, and what your experiences have been? Thoughts on temps and humidity levels?

What is the issue with air flow? My wine fridge has fans inside to circulate air, but I imagine it's also important to have air exchange.

What about time for dry aging?


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## Itsjun (Mar 17, 2019)

You can try putting a battery operated Mini fan inside


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## rickbern (Mar 17, 2019)

Great YouTube video about this from alexthefrenchguycooks.

Hysterical. Five parts, worth watching. He really answers all the questions about time and humidity and comes up with a pretty interesting contraption


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## orangehero (Mar 17, 2019)

Ok I'll try for some reason I really have a hard time watching any videos with that guy in them.


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## Michi (Mar 18, 2019)

I've ordered a pack of the UMAi bags. Should arrive today or tomorrow. Will bag up a hunk of rib eye and report back in about six weeks


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## krx927 (Mar 21, 2019)

Michi said:


> I've ordered a pack of the UMAi bags. Should arrive today or tomorrow. Will bag up a hunk of rib eye and report back in about six weeks



But for this you need to keep the fridge around 1C all the time, isn't it -> no possibility to do it in my only fridge which is used daily and is for sure more than 1C...


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## 5698k (Mar 21, 2019)

I’m not aware of this. I’ve done a number of whole ribeyes in the umai bags, and my refrigerator isn’t that cold.


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## Michi (Mar 21, 2019)

Mine is set at 4 °C. That should work fine.


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## krx927 (Mar 21, 2019)

I don't know if anything above 1C is safe for a longer term. I was reading about real dry aging and temp was always mentioned to be below 1C or around it...

Do you get any smell in the fridge when you are ding it?


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## 5698k (Mar 21, 2019)

Of the ones that I’ve done, there were no unusual odors at all, and usually this is the only perishable in this refrigerator. All of mine were aged for 28-30 days.


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## Kgp (Mar 21, 2019)

Curious to see how you make out with it. I've done couple of wet aged primals in the cryovac for 45 days. NY strip, select grade, which is below choice. They were very inexpensive at $4.00 per lb so if not very good I could grind them up for burgers. Probably the best steak I ever had at home, very tender and flavorful.

Only had dry aged in restaurant one time, 45 day porterhouse. It was tender, but wasn't wild about the flavor. I understand that it is an acquired taste, so my next go at it may be better. Tough for me to drop that much on a piece of meat, though. 

Ken


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## playero (Mar 21, 2019)




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## podzap (Mar 21, 2019)

krx927 said:


> But for this you need to keep the fridge around 1C all the time, isn't it -> no possibility to do it in my only fridge which is used daily and is for sure more than 1C...



The temperature requirements are not that tight. Anywhere from 1-3.3 celcius (34-38 f) should be fine.

The temperature of the meat isn't going to change for brief openings, of course if you stand there with the fridge open for 5 minutes wondering what to snack on then that's another story.


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## Michi (Mar 21, 2019)

krx927 said:


> I don't know if anything above 1C is safe for a longer term. I was reading about real dry aging and temp was always mentioned to be below 1C or around it...
> 
> Do you get any smell in the fridge when you are ding it?


No smell; it's been in there for only four days 

The meat is in an UMAi bag, so I don't think there is any worry about bacterial contamination. Also, there are ways to dry age meat that involve simply hanging it up in the sun, and people still don't die from eating it.

I'll find out whether 4 ºC was cold enough about five weeks from now. If I die, I'll let you know


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## orangehero (Mar 21, 2019)

Is UMAI used commercially? If not what are the drawbacks (if any)?


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## Michi (Mar 21, 2019)

orangehero said:


> Is UMAI used commercially? If not what are the drawbacks (if any)?


I don't think it's used commercially. The point of the bags is to allow you to dry age meat in a refrigerator, instead of needing a dedicated cold room or some such.

There are plenty of YouTube videos where people people compare normal dry ageing with the UMAi bag method. Looks like the results are pretty much identical, if you believe those videos.

I'll report back with how mine worked out. (If I don't die, that is…)


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## 5698k (Mar 21, 2019)

I haven’t died yet...


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## orangehero (Mar 21, 2019)

So I'm wondering why wouldn't more restaurants or grocery stores offer dry aged beef without having to invest in dedicated cold rooms? I have a small fridge I can convert, but now I'm thinking what's the point if these UMAI bags are fine.


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## Michi (Mar 21, 2019)

orangehero said:


> So I'm wondering why wouldn't more restaurants or grocery stores offer dry aged beef without having to invest in dedicated cold rooms?


The bags are expensive. Somewhere around USD 7 each. It's a fancy high-tech semi-permeable membrane. Similar in concept to Gore-Tex. (I don't know if the bags are actually made of Gore-Tex or something else.) The point is that the membrane is breathable, so water vapour can get out, but bacteria can't get in.

For commercial quantities, a cold room is probably a lot more practical and versatile.


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## bahamaroot (Mar 21, 2019)

My parents own a farm and we process our own beef. After slaughter and quartering the beef hangs in a 34F cooler from 21-28 days before butchering. The temperature range can vary safely from 34-38F or 1-3.3c as pozap stated.


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## krx927 (Mar 22, 2019)

One additional question

When you put the meat in the bags you use vacuum machine to seal them in, or what?


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## Michi (Mar 22, 2019)

Yes, you are supposed to use a vacuum sealer. (It would be impossible to use those bags without, unless you glue the edges of the bag together somehow, or roll the edge and clamp it to create the seal.)

The UMAi bags don't have the usual grooves that you get on the inside of ordinary vacuum bags. (Those grooves allow air to be extracted even when the sides of the bag near the edge are squashed together by the sealing machine.) Instead, the UMAi bags are completely smooth.

To avoid having the sides of the bag press against each other, thereby sealing the bag and preventing the pump from evacuating the air, UMAi include something they call "VacMouse". That's basically a strip of plastic mesh that you put between the edges before sealing. The mesh still allows air to be extracted because it stops the two plastic sheets from completely sealing against each other; when the heating strip on the machine is turned on, the mesh melts together with the plastic of the bag and forms an air-tight seal. (The mesh looks very similar to the mesh you can buy at fabric stores for glueing bits of fabric together by ironing them with a layer of the mesh in between. It almost certainly isn't the same material though.)

At any rate, the entire process it simple, easy, fool-proof, and painless. Basically, throw the meat into the bag, squash it against a corner so as much of the bag is in contact with the meat as possible, put the VacMouse strip between the edges of the bag, and seal away.

If all this sounds mysterious, just google "UMAi bag" or some such. There are quite a few videos that show how it works.

Meanwhile, I can't wait to die five weeks from now


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## podzap (Mar 23, 2019)

Like


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## Bodine (Mar 24, 2019)

I dry age in my garage fridge set at 34 degrees, I just put the portion of beef on a rack that allows air flow from beneath and let it sit for 3-4 weeks. Trim the dried portion and cook it up.
Enhances beef flavor to the max.
I have done prime rib roasts, ny strip loins, and filet loins with great success.


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## megapuff5 (Mar 24, 2019)

Michi said:


> Yes, you are supposed to use a vacuum sealer. (It would be impossible to use those bags without, unless you glue the edges of the bag together somehow, or roll the edge and clamp it to create the seal.)
> 
> The UMAi bags don't have the usual grooves that you get on the inside of ordinary vacuum bags. (Those grooves allow air to be extracted even when the sides of the bag near the edge are squashed together by the sealing machine.) Instead, the UMAi bags are completely smooth.
> 
> ...



Look forward to hearing the results. A friend of mine bought the UMAi bags and it looked really cool. I've been wanting to do it since. What cut of beef did you use?


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## Michi (Mar 24, 2019)

megapuff5 said:


> Look forward to hearing the results. A friend of mine bought the UMAi bags and it looked really cool. I've been wanting to do it since. What cut of beef did you use?


At the moment, I have a 1.5 kg piece of rib eye (bone out) sitting in the fridge. Things are looking good so far. Meat is darkening, and no smell.

I normally buy dry aged beef at my local butcher. They have a glass cabinet in the shop where all the "works in progress" are on display. I asked them what temperature they use, and was told that, at the moment, the cabinet is at 4.9 ºC. It looks like my impending death might suffer a bit of a delay


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## podzap (Mar 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> At the moment, I have a 1.5 kg piece of rib eye (bone out) sitting in the fridge. Things are looking good so far. Meat is darkening, and no smell.
> 
> I normally buy dry aged beef at my local butcher. They have a glass cabinet in the shop where all the "works in progress" are on display. I asked them what temperature they use, and was told that, at the moment, the cabinet is at 4.9 ºC. It looks like my impending death might suffer a bit of a delay



This whole "glass cabinet at the shop" thing started springing up about a year ago and I'm guessing about 90% of supermarket meat shops around the world bought into some huge industry report that claimed dry-aged beef was about to take over the market. Like it is some new kind of invention  Store manager to the "butchers": read the instructions with the kit and jack the price up by 3-4 times. 

They probably think that 1.6c over the maximum safe temp is "close enough". I mean, hell, it's only 1.6  It is absolutely enough to create spoilage.


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## Michi (Mar 25, 2019)

I've been shopping at that butcher shop for many years. They've had dry aged beef for around five years, possibly longer. And I've been buying their dry aged meat from them for about that long.

I've had many conversations with these guys. They are the kind of traditional butcher outfit that is getting very, very hard to find these days in Australia. They don't just have pre-packaged cuts on trays with plastic wrap over them; instead, they have carcasses in the cold room. When I want an unusual cut, they literally go out the back and cut whatever I want off a carcass.

I'm inclined to trust them. After many meals from their dry aged meat cabinet, I have yet to experience any ill effects. Don't forget that, until about forty years ago or so, all meat was effectively dry aged. Heck, when I was a child, the cold room at my local butcher shop was cooled with ice blocks; large-scale electric refrigeration didn't exist back then (at least not for small suburban butcher shops; we still had gas street lighting at the time). I very much doubt that butchers could keep their cool room at a constant 2 ºC (or whatever) that way, and people didn't die like flies from eating the meat, regardless.

Even assuming that there might be some bacterial contamination (which I think is unlikely), what's the absolute worst that will happen? A bad bout of diarrhoea, most likely. While I appreciate hygiene and food safety, there is such a thing as getting carried away a bit, I think. It's not as if the meat turns from "safe" at 3.3 ºC to "health hazard" at 4 ºC…


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## podzap (Mar 25, 2019)

Yeah, good those kind of old-school butchers are still found somewhere  Due to temperature instabilities, of course in the old days dry aging was pretty much limited to 28 days. Nowadays with proper temperature control you find stuff well past 100 days! Dry aging, by definition, is the controlled spoiling of the outer layer of the meat without spoiling the inside.

In any case, it tastes awesome. I hope that yours turns out even better than expected.


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## Bill13 (Mar 25, 2019)

Bodine said:


> I dry age in my garage fridge set at 34 degrees, I just put the portion of beef on a rack that allows air flow from beneath and let it sit for 3-4 weeks. Trim the dried portion and cook it up.
> Enhances beef flavor to the max.
> I have done prime rib roasts, ny strip loins, and filet loins with great success.



My only caveat with using a garage fridge is not to do so in the winter months (unless it's detached), or at least for not as long. Part of what is happening with dry aging is that we are using the dehumidification process that occurs when the fridge is going thru it's cooling cycles. If you live somewhere where it gets cold, and your garage gets cold, this cycling of the compressor does not happen as often. Yes, I found out the hard way last winter;(.


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## Michi (Mar 25, 2019)

Bill13 said:


> Part of what is happening with dry aging is that we are using the dehumidification process that occurs when the fridge is going thru it's cooling cycles. If you live somewhere where it gets cold, and your garage gets cold, this cycling of the compressor does not happen as often. Yes, I found out the hard way last winter;(.


Some people stick a battery-operated (small) fan into the fridge. I'm not sure how well that will work; the low temperature isn't great for batteries. It might be OK if the batteries are replaceable; you can charge one set while another one operates the fan, but I'd be prepared for daily battery changes.

As an alternative, get a small computer fan and put that inside the fridge; these things are very cheap and draw little current, so you can run really thin wires through the door seal without creating too much of a temperature leak. (Feeding the wires in from the top seal is probably best.) Any run-of-the-mill power brick at the right voltage can be used to power the fan.


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## Bill13 (Mar 25, 2019)

Yes the fan will help and is not a bad idea regardless of temp outside of the fridge, but it will not help remove the humidity/moisture building up within the fridge, for that you need the compressor to run. You need the warmer moist air to be blown across the chilled coils where the moisture drops out.: https://refrigeranthq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CR-BG-Central-Air-Browser-Illo-1024x656.jpg

Same way that when you run the dehumidifier for you windshield in your car the AC compressor has to run, dropping your MPG.


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## Michi (Mar 25, 2019)

Bill13 said:


> Yes the fan will help and is not a bad idea regardless of temp outside of the fridge, but it will not help remove the humidity/moisture building up within the fridge, for that you need the compressor to run.


Agree, that make sense.


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## Michi (Apr 25, 2019)

So, this is how it emerged from the fridge after 36 days:





There was a 28% weight reduction, which is what you'd more or less expect after that amount of time.

No mould or bacterial growth, and no off smell. Just a clean beef smell, without any gamey notes. The outside surface was hard and dry, like hard leather, without any sliminess. Here it is after slicing:




Here is the final result, with salad with a balsamic vinegar reduction, sprouts, garlic confit, and roast potato:




Taste was really nice. Typical dry-aged beef: concentrated beef flavour, very tender, and only the faintest hint of gamey taste. No funky or off flavours.

I don't know whether I will die yet, because I ate it only half an hour ago. I guess I'll find out soon. If you don't hear from me again, assume that the experiment went wrong.


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## Kgp (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> So, this is how it emerged from the fridge after 36 days:
> View attachment 52284
> 
> There was a 28% weight reduction, which is what you'd more or less expect after that amount of time.
> ...


Looks absolutely perfect! I need to google the garlic confit. Looks interesting.
Ken


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## 5698k (Apr 25, 2019)

That’s roughly the same result I’ve had in the past. Same color, and taste profile. One friend in particular didn’t care for the taste, but he’s not a fan of dry aged at all.

These bags work, and they’re much simpler than a dedicated fridge.


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## podzap (Apr 29, 2019)

Michi said:


> So, this is how it emerged from the fridge after 36 days:
> View attachment 52284
> 
> There was a 28% weight reduction, which is what you'd more or less expect after that amount of time.
> ...



LIKE


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## orangehero (Apr 29, 2019)

It seems the umai bags can only accomplish dehydration of the meat, but not development of the funk of traditionally processed dry aged beef.


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## Michi (Apr 29, 2019)

orangehero said:


> It seems the umai bags can only accomplish dehydration of the meat, but not development of the funk of traditionally processed dry aged beef.


Yes, that is probably right. There will be a little bit of “funk” because the meat isn’t sterile when it goes into the bag, but not as much as you often see with tradional dry ageing.


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## lemeneid (Apr 30, 2019)

Michi said:


> Yes, that is probably right. There will be a little bit of “funk” because the meat isn’t sterile when it goes into the bag, but not as much as you often see with tradional dry ageing.


I think maybe it’s because the aging isn’t long enough. “Funk” usually develops quite rapidly after day 50.

Thanks for doing this experiment man. Think I’ll invest in a dry aging bag myself and try it out


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## mikaelsan (Apr 30, 2019)

thats nice man, i've been trying some offbrand german bags, done two pieces of meat so far, only lost about 0.5% hydration pr day  still came out as a good improvement though.


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## Chef Doom (Apr 30, 2019)

Michi said:


> So, this is how it emerged from the fridge after 36 days:
> View attachment 52284
> 
> There was a 28% weight reduction, which is what you'd more or less expect after that amount of time.
> ...


How much trimming did you do after slicing the steaks?


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## Michi (Apr 30, 2019)

Chef Doom said:


> How much trimming did you do after slicing the steaks?


About 2–3 mm, I'd say. Just enough to remove the hard and dry surface.


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## Chef Doom (May 1, 2019)

That is an acceptable loss. Sounds good.

Can you do anything with those dry boys or do you just toss them to the dogs?


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## Michi (May 1, 2019)

Chef Doom said:


> Can you do anything with those dry boys or do you just toss them to the dogs?


I was wondering that, too. Last time, I threw the scraps away.

I did some searches, and there are people who say that he scraps aren't worth keeping. Others claim that they are dangerous and you should never eat them. Yet others say that they often leave the crust on; apparently, it softens during cooking and gives a stronger "dry cure" taste.

Some people use the cut-offs to make stock, but there are reports that it doesn't work so well. No bones and a lot of fat doesn't make for good stock. There are also suggestions for grinding up the cutoffs and mixing them with normal minced beef for hamburgers. That one could actually work well, I think.

Next time, I'll try a steak with the crust on to see how it turns out. I'm pretty sure that, at least when aged in the bag, the crust isn't going to do any harm. It's just that I might decide that I don't like it.


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## ChefCosta (Jun 5, 2019)

My setup is a Small fridge with a Humidistat connected to a humidifier and a Dehumidifier. I also have 2 USB fans, a germicidal UV lamp a data logging thermohygrometer. I run at 36F and 60% humidity and have had excellent results so far. To get all of those cables through the gasket on the fridge I cut a slit in the gasket rubber between where it connects to door and the magnet that seals to the door frame. I slid a cut off neoprenne beer coozy into the slit to act as a conduit and sealed the outside to the gasket with silicone. I feed all the wires through the inside of the neoprene conduit and the neoprene compresses around them forming a pretty tight seal.


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## Bill13 (Jun 9, 2019)

I would love to see a photo of your setup.


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## ChefCosta (Jun 9, 2019)

Bill13 said:


> I would love to see a photo of your setup.



Just sent a few photos your way!


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## orangehero (Jun 9, 2019)

Why wouldn't you share them here with everyone?


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## Michi (Jun 10, 2019)

orangehero said:


> Why wouldn't you share them here with everyone?


Yes. The rest of us are to be kept in the dark?


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## loopback (Jun 19, 2019)

Or how about buy one of these? 

https://www.dry-ager.com


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## orangehero (Jun 20, 2019)

If you are handy with electronics it's possible to make one at a fraction of the price. That is what I am in the process of doing, all in less than $100 with full humidity and temp control.


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## gstriftos (Jun 20, 2019)

orangehero said:


> If you are handy with electronics it's possible to make one at a fraction of the price. That is what I am in the process of doing, all in less than $100 with full humidity and temp control.


I think a lot people here, including me, would appreciate to see what you are making!


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## Chips (Jun 21, 2019)

Here's a simple 45 day dry-aged prime grade ribeye from a roast from Costco. After aging, I trim and vac-seal them and save for later sous-vide prep, which I did with this steak actually two days ago, and was just reheating for serving. Originally cooked at 132 for 90 minutes. This one was re-heated at the same temp for about 15 minutes. 












Pan sauce is built on previously made demi glaće. I usually pan sear the steak in a mixture of melted butter and cheap olive oil, a few cloves of garlic and fresh thyme. Take the garlic out before even adding the steak, trying to prevent burning/bitterness. The steak browns nicely in the flavorful fat, aided by the carefully patting dry before laying it in the pan, forms a beautiful brown crust quickly. 








My mistakes show, I should have turned the garlic about 45 seconds earlier and pulled it before getting to this level of brownness. It was a tad bitter. Together with the mushrooms, they rejoined the pan sauce right at the end to tighten up the sauce. 












The fond incorporated with a whisk. Hasn't yet developed a beautiful color. That comes with the addition of the demi and/or stock.






I probably wouldn't bother with a pan sauce like this without homemade demi glaće. I get broken pan sauces occasionally, but I don't mind if the flavor's on point. 








The twiggy parts of the thyme get removed, the garlic is already out, mushrooms in, sautéed until they give up their moisture and condense their flavor intensity. Then they join the pan seared garlic and set aside. I remove the majority of the fat from the pan, deglaze with some chicken broth, a splash of dry sherry and whisk to incorporate the fond. Towards the end, a splash of half & half or heavy cream goes in as well as a knob of my frozen demi glaće whisked to incorporate and taste, season with S&P and rounded out at the last second with sherry vinegar to balance the rich fattiness of the sauce. I didn't have any fresh parsley which would have boosted the color but oh-well.


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## WildBoar (Jun 21, 2019)

Hey, no pics of a slice?????


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## Chips (Jun 21, 2019)

I thought about it while engulfing the whole thing... Lol.

Evenly pink throughout. I used to do most of my steaks at 128-129, but I find I prefer the way the fat and connective tissue becomes softer at slightly higher temps, without having to cook them for hours on end.


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## Keat (Jul 8, 2019)

I've used the UMAi bags before, and agree it is pretty easy. Also, you can wrap the bags in a panty hose to ensure the bag is always in contact with the meat. 

Prime ribeyes from Costco are my favorite, maybe 30-45 days. 

I'll try to find photos to share.


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## Thorndahl88 (Jul 8, 2019)

Hey guys. 
If u want to skip the dryage bags. 
You Can always use butter. 

Get it up to around 28c and sink ur
Element Down in the butter. 
Coat it like u would do with a wax candle.


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## Keat (Jul 8, 2019)

The butter coating method is intriguing. Do you have as much "bark" that needs to be trimmed with that method or does the butter help with that?


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## Thorndahl88 (Jul 8, 2019)

Keat said:


> The butter coating method is intriguing. Do you have as much "bark" that needs to be trimmed with that method or does the butter help with that?



The butter helps with that, so there is less bark with the end result or close to nothing.


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## F-Flash (Jul 8, 2019)

Just watched this video the other day, seems like lot less weight loss with butter, but it doesn't have the real funky dry aged flavor either..


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## Thorndahl88 (Jul 8, 2019)

F-Flash said:


> Just watched this video the other day, seems like lot less weight loss with butter, but it doesn't have the real funky dry aged flavor either..




Nah ur right i guess u cant have both. 
But if u made a cloth dryage with Jack Daniels. And then Down in the butter i Think you could get a pretty decent result, and instead of doing 60 days. Then do 120 
Next projekt [emoji851]


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## Thorndahl88 (Jul 8, 2019)

Thorndahl88 said:


> Nah ur right i guess u cant have both.
> But if u made a cloth dryage with Jack Daniels. And then Down in the butter i Think you could get a pretty decent result, and instead of doing 60 days. Then do 120
> Next projekt [emoji851]



BTW he’s spreading the butter in that vid, he should make the butter more soft so he Can sink the ribeye Down into it, so it gets 100 % covered. 
Not sure if it would have a effect besides it gets airtight


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## Keat (Jul 8, 2019)

Awesome video. 

Speaking of long aging, about a month when in NYC, I went to Cote (Michelin starred Korean steakhouse) and had a 150 day dry aged ribeye. It was great. . . almost a blue cheese like flavor. . . I would highly recommend Cote.


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## Michi (Jul 8, 2019)

Thorndahl88 said:


> If u want to skip the dryage bags.
> You Can always use butter.


It sounds messy, but would be cheaper. The UMAi bags aren't cheap.

I guess the butter is breathable enough to allow the meat to still lose moisture? I hadn't heard of this method of dry ageing before…


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## Keat (Jul 8, 2019)




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## playero (Jul 12, 2019)

Chips said:


> Here's a simple 45 day dry-aged prime grade ribeye from a roast from Costco. After aging, I trim and vac-seal them and save for later sous-vide prep, which I did with this steak actually two days ago, and was just reheating for serving. Originally cooked at 132 for 90 minutes. This one was re-heated at the same temp for about 15 minutes.
> 
> View attachment 55347
> 
> ...



Nice Vermouth for martini


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## ChefCosta (Jul 23, 2019)

I recognize that the conversation has moved well beyond this but I have been feeling bad about not posting the pics. I never realized you could post pics directly from iPhone. Here is my setup. Everything except the fridge is from Amazon. Results have been superlative:


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## ChefCosta (Jul 23, 2019)

It is a fridge with a Humidistat, humidifier, Dehumidifier, USB Fans, germicidal UV lamp, data logging thermo-hygrometer, and a rack with some filter media to keep condensation off the meat in the tight space. The part I am proudest of is the “Beer Coozy Conduit”. I cut an opening in the gasket in the part behind the magnet, slid in the coozy and used flexible silicone to seal. I fed all of the wires through and the neoprene coozy compresses around them forming a really tight seal.


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## ACHiPo (Jul 24, 2019)

Nothing succeeds like excess! Nice!


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## Keat (Sep 4, 2019)

Last night I cooked some 100 plus day dry aged prime ribeye. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos or weigh when trimming but at 100 plus days (I forgot exactly when I put it in), you have some serious loss. I would guess less than half of the original weight was there when I portioned it up - obviously some is fat trimming that I wouldn’t eat regardless.

It was really great, not quite the blue cheese flavor I’ve had with other extreme aged beef, but almost there...


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## Michi (Oct 26, 2019)

Chef Doom said:


> Can you do anything with those dry boys or do you just toss them to the dogs?


I just pulled a beef tenderloin out of its bag after 45 days. Starting weight was 1.9 kg, finishing weight was 1.0 kg. Pretty dramatic weight loss.

More crust of dry meat around the perimeter this time, 3 mm thick, I'd say. Rather than throwing the scraps away, I decided to try and make some stock. I cut the off-cuts into 5 mm wide strips and tossed them into a pot of water (about 2 litres), with four smashed garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and half a teaspoon of salt.

Got quite a nice stock out it. No funky notes, tastes just like normal beef stock (but without the richness you get from beef bones). I tasted the off-cuts after they'd cooked for an hour or two. Pretty much what you'd expect: they taste like boiled beef (that is, deadly boring and mostly flavourless).


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## Bodine (Dec 1, 2019)

Costco has NY strip loins on sale through tomorrow, Prime, 8.99 lb + 25 bucks off. 
Yea , I could not resist, now resting in a 34 degree fridge for a few weeks.


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