Why You Should Consider Dry Aging Your Steak at Home

A tender, juicy steak is a meal that oozes luxury, and unfortunately, steakhouses reflect that in their prices, which is why so many people are dedicated to mastering steak in their own kitchens. The quest for the perfect steak cooked at home is never-ending, and dry-aging should be part of that mission. It starts with finding a high-quality butcher and choosing your favorite cut of meat, but replicating the steakhouse experience gets a little trickier after that. You’ll figure out how to get the perfect sear, but there’s always going to be something that doesn’t quite feel the same—and that should lead you to dry-aging. Most high-end steakhouses do this, and there’s good reason to try it yourself at home. Tasting Table reached out to chef KC Gulbro, Certified Angus Beef ambassador and owner of FoxFire restaurant and Copper Fox event venue, for more details.

Gulbro says the process is worth it because it can have a big impact on flavor and texture. “As the steak is dry-aged, it develops a richer beefy flavor with a hint of nuttiness,” he said, adding that dry-aging also tenderizes the meat. “Dry-aging your steak can be cost-effective, but it takes time,” he noted. The chef says it’s best to use “a great bone-in cut or a meat with a nice layer of fat.” A New York strip or ribeye are his favorite choices.

Learn more: Your guide to different cuts of steak

Dry-aging steak adds complex flavors, but requires time and safety precautions

KC Gulbro also told us about the downsides to consider when dry aging a steak. The biggest one he mentioned is being careful about food safety. “Dry aging in your refrigerator can be tricky because you have to control the airflow and temperatures,” he explained. You can solve this problem by placing your steak on a rack in the ideal position for dry aging meat, which is near the fan to encourage airflow and help dry it out. If you don’t have a large enough refrigerator fan, you may need to find a place to fit a small fan that you can run.

Additionally, the chef reminded us that “using a whole muscle is important because there is less waste than with individually dried steaks.” Larger cuts of steak are necessary for dry aging because some parts will always be lost to rot and will need to be trimmed. With smaller, less superficial individual steaks, this could mean losing half the steak or more. Sticking with large cuts is fairly easy to manage, but there are some issues that are difficult to work around, no matter how careful you are. “Dry aging in a regular refrigerator can take up space and, if not monitored properly, can create odors in your fridge,” Gulbro noted. Ultimately, it will be up to you to determine whether the flavors of dry-aged steak are worth the time, space, and smell.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.