Pro Tip: If you wanted to serve a 45-day dry aged roast for christmas dinner, it's too late. But...

Sea2Ski said:

It is a fantastic post, and timely as well. Bought my roast, and it is sitting in the fridge drying and rotting since Sat. Best part? A buddy of mine wants half, so we are splitting it. He insisted on $20 lb for my "time and inconvenience". Ummmmmm. Okay.  
Got a 19lbr for I think it was a tad under $11/lb for prime at Costco. So I think my 43 day old is going to cost me about $20 for Xmas


@JustineCaseyFeldown
Question about meat grade and dry aging. I know you can dry any quality meat. We also know fat is where the flavor is. 
So the question..... Is there a noticeable difference between a choice vs prime grade dry aged steak other than the fat content?  I know everyone's taste is different. But say I have 2 identical roasts on choice and one prime,  both aged 45 days, am I going to notice a difference once aged?

I am a firm believer that usually you get what you pay for, and I try to start with the best ingredients as possible. I also know you can make a great piece of meat not so good but a not so great  piece only so good.

Or maybe you want less fat when dry aging?

Just thinking as I am typing. I think you know I have done this several times, but I have always used prime.  Maybe choice is just as good in this case?

Thoughts?

I don't have many options for USDA prime around here actually. I hist do choice, believe it or not. 

A fat cap is pretty standard with a seven bone in the original cryo. I wouldn't age without a nice cap of fat, so if you have a supermarket roast that has been trimmed to death (some people want that fat trimmed off), you may regret it. Too much exposed flesh (versus fat) can mean overdrying. Imagine a tenderloin after 6 weeks. It'd be a hard little stick of jerky

internal fat is where it's at. So prime is ideal. But you will see prohibitions on the web about not bothering to age if it isn't prime. That's not correct 

sure, more fat more flavor, but that is especially true with fresh beef. When you eat fresh red meat, you are tasting fat. Protein is flavorless. There's some anount of aging in all beef. But basically it is all about fat

but when you age meat, not only does the beef fat condense as you lose water, your formerly flavorless protein breaks down into amino acids, which are much more flavorful. 

So choice is just fine

Lower is technically better , but that's fine

caliking said:

The one in my office is a 2-bone, the one at home is 3 bones. Went with smaller cuts on purpose since it's the first run. I peek at the office one twice daily, in the morning to start my day off right, and then before leaving to wish it well for the night, so it gets some air. The one at home is in the beer fridge. Somehow, it gets fresh air a   few times every evening.

I was planning on pulling the 2-bone at 3 weeks, and the 3-bone at 6 weeks. Will probably get a full rack and let it go for 6weeks later , if I know I can trust the small fridge in the office. 

there you go.  i wouldn't change a thing

Wylecyot said:

I've got one going into the fridge tonight for New Years weekend.  Quick question... I usually put rub on the night before I cook.  Looks like you're putting it on right before cooking?  Does it make a difference with the dry aging process?

rub won't really stick to it.  it's dried.  you could rub the thing with wet hands, and then add salt and rub, and you would be fine.  the salt would still wick some water from the beef, even as dried as it is at the surface.  and you might get some flavor into the surface from the rub.  i frankly am not sure whether that actually happens with fresh beef (flavor penetrating).  salt, yes.

when i roast mine, i usually give a light coating of veg or olive oil (again, rub with the hands) and then sprinkle the seasoning on it to stick.

that fat is already going to begin browning IMMEDIATELY when it goes on.  and the oil is less about frying the surface than it is getting the rub to stick.  but i am sure it helps crisp things.

i'm a traditionalist in this area. roast beef was always traditionally about the crisp fat cap, and so that's my goal.  drying is the best thing for it. 

i would certainly tell you to add the rub if you want the day before.  but again, a light rub of enough water to get the salt and rub to stick is required, or the stuff will bounce right off.

if you are hoping for flavor to get 'into' the meat, don't adhere with pil as i do.  oil will be a barrier i htink to water being drawn out by the salt (which is what you want).  any water you use to adhere your rub will not be in the way, and will actually kick start the salt's job

Hans61 said:

So open the fridge a couple times a day for fresh air?

No. he had a small dorm sized fridge. Close, no real usage. 

I never open the fridge that i'm aging in. Maybe once every couple days max. And only when i need something that's in it