My old mentor was wrong about dry-aging at home

I started dry-aging my own beef about 8 months ago and everyone told me I needed a dedicated fridge with a fancy humidity system. Well I tried a cheaper setup in a spare fridge in my garage using just a small fan and a salt block on the bottom. After 35 days the ribeye I pulled had a deep nutty flavor and a perfect crust that rivaled anything I've bought from a shop. Has anyone else tried a simpler approach like this and gotten good results?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_henderson216d ago

My dry-aging setup is just a fridge with a fan and a prayer it doesn't catch fire lol.

nancy_king296d agoTop Commenter

Wendy, you forgot the most important ingredient - a little bit of luck and a fire extinguisher nearby (preferably not the same one you use for the kitchen). At least if it catches fire, you'll have some perfectly smoked beef, right?

alicer536d ago

Oh man, that reminded me of my friend Dave who decided to smoke a brisket in his backyard last summer. He had this old kettle grill and was so proud of his setup, talking about the rub and the wood chips and all that. Well, he didn't check the wind direction, and about an hour in the whole thing just tipped over and sent hot coals rolling across his patio. The brisket landed in the dirt, the hose got tangled, and he had to stomp out a little fire in his neighbor's hosta plants. He ended up bringing the brisket inside, washing it off in the sink, and finishing it in the oven at like 2 AM. Said it was the best smoked beef he ever had, but I'm pretty sure he was just trying to save face.