Wet aging vs dry aging on a budget cut like chuck roll

I used to just wet age everything in the bag because it's easier, but last month I tried dry aging a chuck roll for 21 days in my little setup in the basement. The flavor difference was huge - the dry aged one had this deep nutty taste that the wet aged one just didn't have at all. It took more work and I lost some weight to trimming, but my customers at the shop in Columbus kept asking for more of the dry aged stuff. Has anyone else tried both on a cheaper cut and seen a big jump in quality?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_taylor1d ago

21 days isn't long enough for a chuck roll to fully dry age.

david_reed221d ago

Wouldn't you want more than just time on its side for a chuck roll though? The fat content and the way it's marbled matter a lot more than just hitting a certain number of days. A leaner chuck roll at 21 days might not have the fat to protect it from drying out too fast, so you end up with a tough outer crust and not much reward inside. I've found that a good 30 to 45 day dry age on a well-marbled chuck roll really lets the beefy flavor come through without sacrificing too much moisture.

young.thomas1d ago

21 days isn't long enough" - that's what my neighbor said about his sourdough starter, and now he's got a whole shelf of jars with names on them. I'm just here trying to not dry age my chuck roll into a brick.