Dry Age at home, using Umai Dry bags

[bird_dog0347]

So I've been wanting to do my own dry aged steaks at home but I'm not going to commit to buying a fridge for it or anything like that, and after lots of research I've decided to try the Umai Dry bag (membrane) system. Basically it allows moisture to escape without letting harmful bacteria back in. The other day at Kroger I saw a whole black Angus choice tenderloin for $47 so I bought two of them. Last night I cut some up and made steaks, and vacuum sealed the rest of the steaks and froze them... and today I've put the other tenderloin into the membrane and put it in the fridge, shooting for valentines day or so to pull it out and trim it up. I'm also going to get a rib-eye sub primal and do that one too.

[bcoop]

I’ve never used them, but I hear to make 100% certain you got a good seal on that bag.

What do you plan to do with the pellicle?

[bird_dog0347]

I’ve never used them, but I hear to make 100% certain you got a good seal on that bag.

What do you plan to do with the pellicle?

Double/triple seal is the trick, and it looks like I've got two really good seals on this one.

For now I plan to toss it... I have access to a nice grinder but it's a PITA unless you plan to make a bunch of meat/sausage. My family usually gets together once a year to make ~200# of Italian Sausage from scratch with it, maybe I can save some for then and use it when we already have it out.

[bcoop]

Double/triple seal is the trick, and it looks like I've got two really good seals on this one.

For now I plan to toss it... I have access to a nice grinder but it's a PITA unless you plan to make a bunch of meat/sausage. My family usually gets together once a year to make ~200# of Italian Sausage from scratch with it, maybe I can save some for then and use it when we already have it out.

Lots of people mix it 50/50 with fresh meat for hamburger. If you don’t want to grind, you can render it down in to tallow and cook with it.

[bird_dog0347]

I picked up a 19# prime brisket as well as a 17# choice boneless ribeye sub-primal today and started them, shooting for early to mid February to cut up the steaks and smoke the brisket.

[bird_dog0347]

So here's the ribeye subprimal after bagging it, aging it, cutting them up and I ended up with 10 steaks between 1" and 1.5" and they look great. I'll be cooking up a few of them tonight!

I already did the tenderloin and while it was SUPER tender, like just push your tongue through the meat to the roof of your mouth tender... but it didn't have near enough fat and was kinda dry.

[DON SVO]

Those look great!

[bird_dog0347]

Oh man, these were the best Ribeye steaks I've ever cooked at home... I am absolutely going back to Costco this week to get another and it will go at least 45 days, maybe 60. The texture is awesome, very tender, my whole family loved it and now want it all the time, even after the kids were not impressed with the dry aged tenderloin (and they love steak).

The only thing was that I cannot discern the difference without a control steak (with tenderloin I froze a "control steak" that wasn't dry aged to compare head to head) in flavor... I mean, it tasted FANTASTIC, but still like a Ribeye and I didn't pick up any blue cheese flavors like I was told I should expect by different videos.

[bcoop]

Oh man, these were the best Ribeye steaks I've ever cooked at home... I am absolutely going back to Costco this week to get another and it will go at least 45 days, maybe 60. The texture is awesome, very tender, my whole family loved it and now want it all the time, even after the kids were not impressed with the dry aged tenderloin (and they love steak).

The only thing was that I cannot discern the difference without a control steak (with tenderloin I froze a "control steak" that wasn't dry aged to compare head to head) in flavor... I mean, it tasted FANTASTIC, but still like a Ribeye and I didn't pick up any blue cheese flavors like I was told I should expect by different videos.

How long did you go? I've never picked up hints of blue cheese on anything under 45 days. Granted, everyone's taste buds are different. But in my experience, 30 days or less is really a waste of time. It will get tender, but doesn't alter the flavor imo.

I've also read that using umai bags will hinder the flavor that aging imparts.

[bird_dog0347]

How long did you go? I've never picked up hints of blue cheese on anything under 45 days. Granted, everyone's taste buds are different. But in my experience, 30 days or less is really a waste of time. It will get tender, but doesn't alter the flavor imo.

I've also read that using umai bags will hinder the flavor that aging imparts.

These were 35 days, I'll try longer next time for sure.