Dry Aged - Mixed outcome

3Pedals6Speeds

Well, I finally had the time to get to using the sirloin I've had in a drybag for 56 days. It's a little longer than I planned on aging them, but work/travel got in the way, so we got a good long drying cycle. This is my 1st time dry aging beef. You can see the results:

The whole strip


A couple cut free:


The final trimmed steaks (my family hates fat, so I have to cut it all off, Grr......):


I should point out that these were advertised as only Select grade (I'd have bought higher if they'd had it that day), but I have to say, given the marbling, I think they were closer to Choice or Choice+

So to this point in the process I was very happy. Unfortunately, I screwed up from here on in, and the outcome was only average, to below (relative to our normal steaks. Problems? Well, I didn't season them, thinking we'd be able to concentrate on the flavor of the meat more. Also - I was particularly lucky in getting the Egg to get to lava stage for the sear (spider and CI) and when I ran the 1st two for 90 seconds apiece, I think I burned the &%&(*& out of them. I recovered for the other pair (50 seconds per side), then pulled all, cooled the egg to 400, and then cooked the lot of them to 129 internal.

The less charred ones were passable, but the lack of seasoning was a mistake. I have 8 more ready to go. 4 on Sunday, 4 sometime later (frozen).

BobS

The steaks looked great.

I like some seasoning on most steaks, but most of my steaks just have salt and I would have been all over those.

RRP

Aged beef certainly does cook quicker. Secondly since I always sear after an hour hot tub I never season my dry aged steaks first for fear of burning the salt, which it will do.

Fidel

How are you going to burn salt? I think you mean the other spices/seasonings will burn?

AZRP

Ron, I heavily salt and pepper my steaks before the hour in the tub. The salt dissolves and when seared makes a tasty crust. -RP

RRP

Rod, salt most certainly will burn. I remember burning it in high school chemistry class. There are also people who swear pouring salt into the fire in a fireplace for color when it burns.

RRP

Thanks Randy - I'll have to try that though I've just gotten accustomed to salting after cooking - guess that's why I didn't quite understand why the poster didn't do that himself rather than to be dissatisfied that there was no salt.

Fidel

Table salt burns at nearly 1500° - well, it melts actually, but let's not get into the semantics of it. Your lump doesn't get that hot.

How are you going to burn it in your egg?

RRP

Ok - I'll concede - you win I lose - you want to know what's funny though? I would have sworn it was from you that I got the idea that salt could be burnt in an egg - but so be it I'm outa here...

3Pedals6Speeds

RRP wrote:

Thanks Randy - I'll have to try that though I've just gotten accustomed to salting after cooking - guess that's why I didn't quite understand why the poster didn't do that himself rather than to be dissatisfied that there was no salt.

There was no saving these things after the char I put on them, we tried! I usually admonish my son for ruining good steaks with A1 sauce (even before he tastes!), but last night we all found ourselves trying something to rescue the overcooked meat.

2Fategghead

3Pedals6Speeds wrote:

I was particularly lucky in getting the Egg to get to lava stage for the sear (spider and CI) and when I ran the 1st two for 90 seconds apiece, I think I burned the &%&(*& out of them. I recovered for the other pair (50 seconds per side), then pulled all, cooled the egg to 400, and then cooked the lot of them to 129 internal.

The less charred ones were passable, but the lack of seasoning was a mistake. I have 8 more ready to go. 4 on Sunday, 4 sometime later (frozen).

What works for me when searing using the spider and CI grid is doing so at 400F dome then pulling the meat and placing my AR in and placing the meat on the highest grid then finishing the way I want. I am able to do this process with out waiting. I find that I get a very good sear especially if I have as much lump in the fire box as possible and still have the spider and CI grid in. Tim

Also I have not been hot tubing mainly because I don't get the thick cut of meat. Not that I don't get thick cuts of meat just not lately.

BobS

Salt will not melt at cooking temperatures. The official melting point is 801 C or 1473.8 F

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/s3338.htm

I guess I should have read further in the thread before commenting.

OconeeDawg

What method did you use to dry age the meat?

3Pedals6Speeds

OconeeDawg wrote:

What method did you use to dry age the meat?

Drybagsteak.com bags

OconeeDawg

Thanks. It looks good by the way!

Crimsongator

Don't leave. This was just getting good. I was waiting for Rod to bring up that it is the metal in the salt to provide the coloring. Then I was sure someone would say it just adds color to the flame and doesn't actually burn, but hey.....now I am going to have to be disappointed the rest of the afternoon.

Rolling Egg

Don't fret. Im sure there will be someone else to come along that wants to argue and pout about it.

Crimsongator

...and to stomp off in a hissy fit....not that THAT had ever happened before around here!

RRP

I don't get it - I'm not pouting - I admitted I was mistaken - I just didn't see the need to beat myself up! :laugh:

Crimsongator

That was back in the good old days when you could have an open flame in class. I remember our chemistry teacher about burning his hand and tongue showing a trick with dry ice. I don't know how he survived so long.

Rolling Egg

Uphill to school in the snow was it? Good ole days

Crimsongator

Not in Florida, but I can tell you about those 5lb mosquitos

fishlessman

you should see what happens when your chemistry teacher takes a hunk of sodium the size of a golf ball and drops it into a sink full of water :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Rolling Egg

I agree with you. That looks more like Choice meat at least. That's some great looking marbling.

Crimsongator

Ouch

Fidel

It's better when you flush it!

I'm the jackass that used to sprinkle SilverNitrate all over the lab tables so the entire class (except me) would have splotchy purple stains on their forearms for the next week.

fishlessman

dont know what happens when you flush it, but it sounds pretty cool bouncing around in the ceiling :laugh: flaming superball :woohoo:

Fidel

Raw potassium is even better.

Sodium:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqDWbknpiVk

Postassium:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFG4Yr7lQzw

fishlessman

good looking piece of beef. dont worry about burning the first one, everyone overcooks their first dry aged steak, they cook fast

fishlessman

ive got a hunk of pure zirconium. if you put the shavings in the bottom of a bucket full of water then toss a match in it will flash 20-30 feet straight up, water instantly vaporizes. burnt 2 saws up with the stuff, coolant doesnt seem to work with it, white fireball hit the ceiling in the shop in the high bay

3Pedals6Speeds

Rolling Egg wrote:

I agree with you. That looks more like Choice meat at least. That's some great looking marbling.

Yeah, I was really surprised when I opened it up that it was as well marbled as it was.