That demo at the Niman Ranch facility convinced me dry-aging is overrated

I was out at a Niman Ranch facility in California about 2 years back for a workshop thing. They got this guy from some high-end steakhouse showing off their dry-aging program, 45 days, all that. Then the plant manager just walks over and hands us a fresh-off-the-kill ribeye, like 3 hours old. He threw it on a flattop with nothing but salt and pepper. I swear that thing was more tender and beefy than any dry-aged steak I've ever had. It made me wonder if we're all just chasing this expensive storage process when the real trick is just getting better beef and cooking it right after. Has anyone else noticed a huge difference with super fresh meat versus aged stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice9287d ago

Wait, three hours from kill to plate, no hanging or anything?

felixm296d ago

Absolutely not. "Three hours from kill to plate" you said it yourself, that's crazy talk. Meat needs time to relax, man. If you cook it that fast it's gonna be tough and chewy, no way around it. You're basically eating a stressed out animal. Hanging for at least a week is the bare minimum, maybe two if you want it to actually taste good.

young.ryan6d ago

Read in some old farming manual that the whole "hanging for tenderness" thing matters way more for beef than it does for lamb or goat. Supposedly smaller animals just don't have the same muscle structure that requires that long relax period. Could be wrong but I've done quick kill-and-cook with rabbit before and it turned out fine.