What Equipment Is Needed for Aging Beef at Home?
How is it that the beef at the steakhouse always tastes better than the steak you have at home? The secret is that they age their beef, which dehydrates the meat gradually, concentrating the rich, beef flavor and tenderizing the meat. Most steakhouses age their beef for weeks, but you can enhance your next steak at home by aging a smaller piece of meat in only a few days with a few simple pieces of kitchen equipment. Dry-aging beef at home is a relatively short and simple process compared with commercial aging, but it has the same delicious effect. Does this Spark an idea?
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Climate Control
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In a commercial setting, the temperature and humidity are constantly monitored in entire rooms dedicated to the aging process. At home, smaller cuts of meat can be aged in the refrigerator, where the temperature and humidity can closely match that of the commercial aging rooms. A refrigerator thermometer should be used to measure both conditions. Ideally, the temperature should be between 34 degrees and 38 degrees, and the humidity should be between 50 percent and 60 percent.
Ventilation
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Whole sides of beef are hung on hooks from the ceiling in commercial aging rooms. Home cooks dry-aging a smaller cut of beef, such as a rib roast, can use a sheet pan with a rack. The rack should fit neatly in the pan and be sturdy enough to ensure proper ventilation and drainage all around the meat. Paper towels should be placed over the top of the meat to help absorb moisture. Drain the sheet pan and replace the paper towels every day.
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Time
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Some commercial steakhouses age their beef for months, but home cooks should not age beef for more than three days, according to chef Alton Brown. Aging beef for longer than three days in a household refrigerator could result in the meat spoiling rather than aging properly. Fortunately, the smaller cuts of beef served at home can be aged in only a few days. Even aging beef overnight, using only the simple equipment mentioned above, can enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.
Misconceptions
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It may seem strange to American cooks to leave meat exposed in the refrigerator with no plastic or even butcher paper. However, if care is taken to place the meat on the bottom shelf and in the back, and the refrigerator temperature is monitored closely, the risk will be minimized. As with all raw meat, practice basic sanitation before and after working with the aging beef. Once the meat begins to age, the surface will darken and shrivel slightly. The meat is not spoiling but dehydrating, so there is no need to be alarmed. Once the dark edges are trimmed, the meat will be rich red inside.
Considerations
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When choosing equipment to age beef at home, make sure the pan is large enough to hold your cut of meat and small enough to fit in your refrigerator. Put a heavy pot on the rack before buying it to make sure it will not bend under the weight. The thermometer should be easy to read, accurate and tell you both the temperature and humidity at a glance, so the refrigerator door needs to be open for only a moment at a time. Monitor the temperature of the refrigerator closely, because it's essential to keep the temperature below 40 degrees to limit the risk of contamination.
Once your equipment is in place, buy the best beef you can afford from the most reputable butcher you can find.
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