Visited a butcher shop in Portland last week that dry-ages everything vs the one near me that wet-ages everything

The dry-aged place had way more flavor but way less yield, while the wet-aged place had consistent product but tasted like nothing special. Which method do you guys think wins out for a regular customer who just wants a good steak?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_river7d ago

That dry-aged flavor is something else, no doubt about it. I remember a buddy of mine used to run a little BBQ joint on the side and he'd dry-age his own briskets in a repurposed fridge. Man, that smell when he opened it up - it was like a sharp, funky cheese almost, but the meat itself was incredible. He always lost a good bit to trimming though, had to cut off the harder outer crust to get to the good stuff. For a regular person just wanting a good steak at home, I guess it depends on how much you want to fuss with it and how much you're willing to pay for that extra punch of flavor.

lucas_price837d ago

Dry-aged is the way to go if you're cooking for yourself and you actually care about taste. You lose some weight to trimming but that funk is worth it, especially if you're getting a ribeye or a strip. Wet-aged steaks are fine for a Tuesday night where you just want something easy, but they don't have that deep beefy flavor that makes you remember it. If you're at the butcher shop anyway, ask them to cut you a thicker steak off the dry-aged piece, then just salt it heavy and let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight before cooking. That'll get you closer to the restaurant style without needing any fancy equipment.