Showerthought: Dry-aging vs. wet-aging beef has me split down the middle

I run a small shop and I've been testing both methods. On one hand, dry-aging gives ribs a deep, rich taste that customers love. I had a guy drive an hour just for my dry-aged steaks. But wet-aging is so much faster and I lose less meat to trimming. Last month, I wet-aged a whole side and sold it all in three days with no waste. I see the value in both, but I can't pick a side for my regular stock. What do you all think is better for a busy butcher?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.reese6h ago

Did you see that video where a chef compared the two methods side by side? They talked about how dry-aging builds flavor but also how much weight you lose from evaporation. It made me realize the choice might depend on what your regular customers expect to find in the case each week. Your fast sell-out with wet-aging shows it works, but those drive-for-it fans are proof dry-aged has its place. Maybe stocking both but in different amounts could keep your case full without missing out on either market.

dakota_moore6h ago

Try pleasing both steak camps with a mixed case. You'll have dry-aged fans sniffing around while wet-aged flies off the shelf. Maybe just let them fight it out in the parking lot.