Short Term Dry Aging Question

Cashfan

I have been intrigued lately by dry aging, to the point of seriously considering doing it. This Saturday I am cooking dinner for four, and I picked up a 5# boneless rib roast last Saturday from the grocery store. I had seen were some of you had let the roast dry for a few days prior to cooking it, so Sunday I took it out, put it on a rack and back into the fridge.

So I am wondering, is 6 days too long to dry age this roast? I know loins are typically dried for 45 days, but with a small roast, it looked like most people only went 3-4 days. I'm kinda panicking a little bit, as I don't want people to get sick, and I have never done this before. 

Any cooking pointers? I plan on cooking it indirect at about 250 with cherry till its done, with no reverse sear, and salt and peeper for seasoning. In the past I have reverse seared it, and it was good, just looking to try something else.

Perhaps @RRP, or @Darby_Crenshaw, or anybody else could chime in? Am I needlessly worried about nothing?

admiral21

There is going to be no noticeable difference between fresh meat and anything aged up to 28 days.  Just wrap it up, salt it the night before and cook it up.

You absolutely have to sear it, the meat is going to look nasty and light brown just letting it go indirect at 250 until it is done. Plus when you sear it, you get a whole new level of flavor on the browned bits.

Photo Egg

No fear of getting sick unless your fridge is not working correctly.
If it were me, I would pull it out of the fridge tonight. Rub with a little EVOO season with salt, pepper, fresh chopped garlic and some lightly chopped rosemary. Wrap it tight in saran wrap and put it back in the fridge. Pull it out about 3-4 hours before you want to start cooking.
Cook it raised direct at about 275-300 degrees. Flip/rotate as needed.
Pull in the low 120s or where you like it.
Raised direct will give you the nice flavor/caramelization you are seeking.
...and take photos...

SmokeyPitt

Something @Darby_Crenshaw mentioned is that even a few days will help remove some moisture from the outside.  It is not going to change the flavor much but it can help you achieve a better crust without the need for a sear.

I would just cook it as you have planned and then make the call on whether or not you think it needs a reverse sear.  For a small roast you might find a CI skillet or griddle works well for a sear.

RRP

As the others have said - you will be fine as long as your refrigerator was working. As for any benefit, no, 6 days has done very little for your meat. I don't dry age anything less than 35 days now and most times I go 45.

Cashfan

SmokeyPitt said:

Something @Darby_Crenshaw mentioned is that even a few days will help remove some moisture from the outside.  It is not going to change the flavor much but it can help you achieve a better crust without the need for a sear.

I would just cook it as you have planned and then make the call on whether or not you think it needs a reverse sear.  For a small roast you might find a CI skillet or griddle works well for a sear.

Thanks for the feedback!!

This the reason I wanted to try drying it ahead of time. Avoiding the reverse sear so that roast is more consistently cooked. 

It is amazing how much the meat has changed in just a few days already. Defiantly need to pick up a loin and age it.

Darby_Crenshaw

Dry aging is drying PLUS aging

you can't age for 6 days but you certainly can dry

and you can also go low (slow roasting) without searing

You absolutely have to sear it, the meat is going to look nasty and light brown just letting it go indirect at 250 until it is done. Plus when you sear it, you get a whole new level of flavor on the browned bits.

This isn't correct. It will brown fine. You can sear if you want though

the drying will produce a dry fat that browns better than any seared fresh fat will. But it's all personal preference

jeffwit

I agree with @Darby_Crenshaw. I did a rib roast Easter Sunday, and let it dry in the fridge for a couple of days beforehand. Cooked it at 250* with no sear afterwards. Among one of the best meals I've ever had.

Cashfan

jeffwit said:

I agree with @Darby_Crenshaw. I did a rib roast Easter Sunday, and let it dry in the fridge for a couple of days beforehand. Cooked it at 250* with no sear afterwards. Among one of the best meals I've ever had.

You cooked it indirect, right? 

bgebrent

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Dry aging is drying PLUS aging

you can't age for 6 days but you certainly can dry

and you can also go low (slow roasting) without searing

You absolutely have to sear it, the meat is going to look nasty and light brown just letting it go indirect at 250 until it is done. Plus when you sear it, you get a whole new level of flavor on the browned bits.

This isn't correct. It will brown fine. You can sear if you want though

the drying will produce a dry fat that browns better than any seared fresh fat will. But it's all personal preference

This sums it up.  A few days will make little difference besides exterior drying.

Photo Egg

bgebrent said

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Dry aging is drying PLUS aging

you can't age for 6 days but you certainly can dry

and you can also go low (slow roasting) without searing

You absolutely have to sear it, the meat is going to look nasty and light brown just letting it go indirect at 250 until it is done. Plus when you sear it, you get a whole new level of flavor on the browned bits.

This isn't correct. It will brown fine. You can sear if you want though

the drying will produce a dry fat that browns better than any seared fresh fat will. But it's all personal preference

This sums it up.  A few days will make little difference besides exterior drying.

True, little difference on the inside. But exterior crust, color and flavor could be big.

bgebrent

Photo Egg said:

bgebrent said

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Dry aging is drying PLUS aging

you can't age for 6 days but you certainly can dry

and you can also go low (slow roasting) without searing

You absolutely have to sear it, the meat is going to look nasty and light brown just letting it go indirect at 250 until it is done. Plus when you sear it, you get a whole new level of flavor on the browned bits.

This isn't correct. It will brown fine. You can sear if you want though

the drying will produce a dry fat that browns better than any seared fresh fat will. But it's all personal preference

This sums it up.  A few days will make little difference besides exterior drying.

True, little difference on the inside. But exterior crust, color and flavor could be big.

True, but not the same by far compared to 45 days.  If he has 5 days, no harm done but not the magic of true dry aging.  Not "big" in my book brother.

jeffwit

Cashfan said:

jeffwit said:

I agree with @Darby_Crenshaw. I did a rib roast Easter Sunday, and let it dry in the fridge for a couple of days beforehand. Cooked it at 250* with no sear afterwards. Among one of the best meals I've ever had.

You cooked it indirect, right? 

Yes. Indirect to an IT of 130*. Pulled and rested under foil for about 10 minutes.