It sounds complicated but is probably the easiest and most efficient way to re-create those exceptional but very pricey Steakhouse meats. However, it's very simple and much cheaper than a steak from a restaurant. There are a few good websites with instructions on how to dry-age beef but Alton Brown's method and America's Test Kitchen's are two of the best ones out there.
Although I always enjoyed Alton Brown's show "Good Eats" for its educational value to home cooks, I disagree with using paper towels for wrapping the meat. He suggests changing the paper towels after 24 hours but even after only 12 hours I found that they tend to stick too much to the beef, ripped and left small pieces stuck on the meat. Cheese cloth is a better and cleaner alternative. Sorry, Alton.
Dry-aging is done is a controlled, cool environment. Steakhouses use a walk-in cooler, also ironically called a "hot box". At home, your regular fridge (a temperature of 34°F to 38°F is ideal) will do just as fine and is more than enough to produce an excellent dry-aged piece of beef. And for what it's worth, the most common cuts used for dry-aging come from the ribs or the loin of the animal, in other words the Tenderloin, NY Strip, Porterhouse and the Rib-eye. In our case here, we'll be dry-aging a Rib-eye steak.
Why and what's the purpose of using this technique?
If you have ever been to a great steakhouse, where a single in-house dry aged 24 oz steak can cost as much as $60 without the fixings, you know that they taste differently than steaks from your local butcher or supermarket. Those steaks tend to have more flavor, are very tender and meatier than your run-of-the-mill NY-strip or Rib-eye Steaks from the above-mentioned sources, for example. But it comes with a hefty price tag mainly because dry-aging is an expensive method for the restaurant.
So what happens to the beef during the dry-aging process?
A couple of things, actually. First, moisture within the meat evaporates, resulting in a more concentrated beef flavor/taste and secondly, the beef's natural enzymes break down the fibrous & connective tissues and proteins. The result is a very tender cut of beef, basically a melt-in-your-mouth kind of tenderness, and huge on flavor. Restaurants usually dry-age their meat for about 28 days. At home 4 days is more than sufficient to re-create the restaurant-quality steaks.
Now, keep in mind that dry-aging requires some planning ahead. It won't work if you wake up on a Monday morning with a serious craving for steak and want it the same day. This one here is more for a planned-out evening with your wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend or steak party with special friends.
NOTE: All equipment used during dry-aging must be sanitary clean. Run everything through a dishwasher, make sure the bottom shelf of the refrigerator is sanitized with a diluted bleach solution and don't open the door too often to ensure a constant cool/cold temperature. Limit the dry-aging process to 4 days only to prevent bacteria growth!
With that said, what do we need to dry-age a steak at home?
Six things.
2 20oz, 1.5" thick, bone-in Rib-eye steaks
2 cheese cloths, folded to the steaks' individual size
A half sheet pan
A cooling rack
That's it. Why a cooling rack? The cooling rack allows the air to circulate around and under the meat evenly.
Rinse the steaks well under cold water and pat dry very well. Let the steaks sit on the counter for about 5 minutes, flipping them over once. Then wrap them in the cheese cloths, making sure the ends of each cheese cloth are folded in.
Place the steaks on the rack with the 'seam' sides of the cheese cloths down to prevent them from opening or unfolding during the first 24 hours.
The steaks go on the bottom shelf/rack/position of your fridge after we wrapped them and about 6" - 8" away from the back of the shelf, depending on the size of your fridge. Scan the back to see if there are some visible vents. If there are, don't place the pan directly over, and subsequently, blocking them. You want the cold air to circulate.
Now all we do is wait and have some patience for the next 4 days.
Happy Easter everyone!
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