Cookaholics Bulletin Board

The Food Lab: Can I Dry Age Beef At Home?
Interesting article.

I believed in dry aging at home, and felt the steaks tasted better. However, I am not one to believe in such anecdotes blindly (we are truly horrid judges of many things), and when it was called into question, I carefully went over my procedure. What I discovered was that I dry aged when I was able to buy several days in advance, and go to the good butcher and get the best meat. If there was not great meat, I'd pass and eventually buy something that day and use it, un-aged. So, of course, I was only dry aging the best meat.... so my perception was probably right, my dry aged meat was better then the other stuff, but the reason I attributed was suspect. It was just because it was better meat.

Naturally, YMMV. I still hold out hope for dry aging. I'd also like him to give "turbo aging" a spin.

I agree that dry aging is impractical in the home. Dry aging needs a constant temperature below 40,, and dry air circulating freely. Neither is convenient to provide in the home.

A reasonable alternative for me is wet aging. This is accomplished by purchasing large pieces, strips or ribeyes in primals in cryovac, being sure that the seal has not been broken, and leaving in a refrigerator for a period of a month to several weeks. The results, while not quite as good as dry aging, do make a difference. I have been doing it this way for years.

Costco sells prime strips and rib eyes in cryovac at reasonable rates.