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Short term steak preservation

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njl
njl Posts: 1,123
in EggHead Forum
I was shopping tonight and looked at the meat selection, not really intending to buy any...but Greenwise bone-in ribeyes were on sale and there were two really nice 1.3/1.4lb ones that followed me home.  I already have plans for the next 4 dinners.  It seems silly to freeze them, but I'm a little worried about just leaving them in the packaging in the fridge for 5 days.  Should I

a) freeze them for 2--3 days
b) do nothing and just cook them Sunday night
c) remove them from the foam trays and put them on a drying/cooling rack in the fridge (does 5 days count as dry aging?)

It's Tuesday now.  The sell by date on them is Thursday.
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  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
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    I vote B. A is an option but your so close to cooking that it shouldn't matter. C will just dry them out a bit but not really enhance flavor at all.
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  • jlsm
    jlsm Posts: 1,011
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    I vote c. And don't ask me how I know. (Nothing like ruining good steak.)
    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,749
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    B would be fine, leave them in the package
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • MikeP624
    MikeP624 Posts: 292
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    I would do C.  But make sure you salt them.  I did this with a whole beef tenderloin for 3 days.  Not sure it made much of a difference in taste, but it produced my best sear marks to date.  The salt removes the surface moisture so you get better sear marks.  Seriouseats.com did an article on the proper way to salt a steak/roast.
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    (B) -- they may loose a little color, but they will be fine...
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  • Greeno55
    Greeno55 Posts: 635
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    B - if they get a little slimy or change colours a bit, just wash em in some cold water before you cook.
    LBGE (2012), MiniMax (2014), and too many Eggcessories to list.  - Sudbury, Ontario
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  • bccomstock
    bccomstock Posts: 338
    edited February 2013
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    D) Cook them now.. Why? Because reasons.

    :))
    LBGE
    MS Gulf Coast - Proud member of the Who Dat Nation!
    My Not Frequently Updated Basically Dead Blog: http://datcue.wordpress.com
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    I choose E. Buy several packs of micro brews, cook the steaks rare while I'm enjoying your beer on your porch.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Any quality non-ground beef just gets better as it ages - wet, dry.  Biggest problem is the significant other reading the sell-by date on the label and wondering if it's safe to eat.  For that reason, you may want to remove the label.  It'll be perfectly safe to cook on Sunday, at least as safe as it would be to eat on the sell-by date.  Any bad bacteria would be a product of the slaughterhouse, and not aging.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    I was always told about beef - "if you can get past the smell when cooking it-it's fine"..
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    edited February 2013
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    The color change is just oxidation and nothing to worry about?  I decided to open them up, salt them, and put them back in the fridge on a cooling rack.  I'll probably cook them Sunday.

    image
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Yeah, it's just oxidation

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
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    Interestingly, either the dehumidification of being open in the fridge overnight or the salting has largely reversed the color change process and the non-fat parts are back to almost entirely red.

    On a side note, what do you think of those as bone-in ribeyes go?  They're Publix Greenwise Choice grade.  Like I said, I wasn't even "in the market" for steaks, but I saw these on sale for less per lb. than the regular stuff and they just looked too good to not buy.
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  • burr_baby33
    burr_baby33 Posts: 503
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    love bone in ribeye
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  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
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    It's my favorite cut, those look solid to me
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
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    I think I ruined them :(

    When "dry aging" them in the fridge, was I not supposed to salt them?  They came out very salty, and it was almost like the outside was "preserved" almost like it was turning into jerky....just not quite so tough.  Next time I find steaks like this, I think I need to either cook them in a reasonable time or freeze them.
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  • jlsm
    jlsm Posts: 1,011
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    If you salt them and keep them in the fridge for hours (or days), it's considered a dry brine. I dry brine a turkey for 24 hours with 1T per 5 lbs. Sounds like you used too much salt. 
    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    Check out this

    I have also seen stuff on America's Test Kitchen about letting a steak sit out overnight on a rack.

    I bet the issue is the amount of time you let the meat salt. It seems like you started to cure it.
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