How to Dry Beef at Home
Steak lovers may prefer dry-aged beef over regular beef cuts because of its tenderness and deep flavor, but this type of beef can be very costly. Beef is mainly dry-aged by a butcher in large coolers where air circulation is optimal and temperatures are easier to maintain, but you can do it at home with minimal effort and a lot less expense. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Drying beef
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1
Choose a top grade of beef such as USDA prime or choice-grade one or two. These two grades have a nice thick fat layer that will keep the meat from spoiling while it is aging. A whole loin strip or rib eye is a good choice- don't try to dry individual steaks.
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2
Unwrap and rinse with cold water, drain off the water and pat the meat dry using paper towels.
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3
Use one or two clean, white dish towels made of 100% cotton to wrap the meat. According to Finecooking.com, you can also use three layers of clean cheesecloth instead of dish towels. The cotton fabric will draw out excess moisture and blood.
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4
Place the wrapped meat in the coldest spot in the refrigerator. This is usually the area of the bottom shelf. To be sure, place a thermometer in different areas of the refrigerator to confirm which area is the coldest. Finecooking.com states that temperatures must stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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5
Replace the cotton towels every day for up to two weeks with clean, dry towels. Towels can be reused by soaking them overnight in cold water, then soaking them in salt water for about three hours to remove blood stains, and then washing them as you normally would in your washing machine. Be sure they are completely dry before reusing.
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6
Trim steaks off as needed and rewrap the remainder of the meat.
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Tips & Warnings
Dried beef processed in this manner should not be left in the refrigerator for more than 21 days according to Goodcooking.com. After 21 days, you should cut off any remaining steak and freeze it.
Expect your beef to shrink by about 10 to 15 percent during the drying process.
As with any meat, if it smells foul, discard the meat and do not eat it to avoid food poisoning.
Expect some mold to appear on the outside of the meat when it is drying-this is normal. Trim the moldy layer away and discard it.
