lee689•1d ago

Had a chat with an old timer about aging beef at home

Ran into a retired butcher at the farmers market last Saturday who told me he hangs primal cuts in his basement fridge for 21 days. He said most people rush the process and lose all the depth of flavor. Has anyone here tried dry aging in a regular fridge without a special setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

troychen1d ago

Did 21 days in my mini fridge. Best ribeye I ever had.

olivia6701d ago

Mini fridge dry aging is tricky business. The humidity and airflow in those little fridges just aren't built for proper aging, so you're probably getting some moisture loss and a slightly different texture than you'd get from a real setup. That said, if it tasted great to you, that's all that matters really. Lots of people do this at home and get good results. Just be careful about mold and make sure you trim the pellicle off before cooking. You might even find the flavor improves with a dedicated dry aging bag if you want to try that next time.

mileslane1d ago

What @troychen said lines up with my own experience. A mini fridge works fine for 21 days if you keep an eye on humidity and wrap the meat in cheesecloth. Just make sure you trim that pellicle thick to avoid any bitter spots.