Interesting site from another forum, about aging and Angus topics we've discussed recently.

Straight Dope -- on aged beef

Pretty detailed discussion about aging beef, Certified Angus and even a little about Wagu/Kobe.

Smokin'

I liked the article.

Now if I can just find a packer brisket that can read.

Hey Tom, you guys ready for Alabama?

Has the kid got his new FE? Used all the influence I have, he should have it by now.

Would love to be in Alabama, but the kids have plans (for some reason) this weekend.

Russ

We greatly appreciate your help.

It arrived Tues afternoon,while he was at the fire station.

We owe ya'll one.

He should be seasoning it,as we speak.

Load 'em both on the trailer this evening.

Looks like an easy 665 miles each way.

Hope that storm goes out to the Gulf,this weekend.

Nah, you don't owe us anything, just go out and win on for the old gipper!

Interesting article Smokin... thanks for posting it. Now I have a question and maybe it is too subjective, but I was wondering. I saw a lot of those longhorn cows when in Ponca City and surrounding areas. We dont have many here in Iowa so they kinda look different to me. But I was wondering... do they taste any different than other cows? By other I mean Angus or Hereford, etc.

Bob

Thanks for the link, Smokin...very interesting.

Good link. Thanks.

I do have 2 cents worth about dry-aging meat at home. Get a large enough cut to make it worthwhile. The idea is to allow the enzymatic activity to work and loose the least amount of weight(water) I find that I get a 10-15% weight loss on a 10lb rib roast over 7-8 days of aging. I make a strong cold brine solution and wet the roast thoroughly so there is a salt film when it dries. I wrap in cheesecloath and suspend on a rack in a fridge so there is good air circulation. Temperature control is important. I turn once or twice during the week to confuse gravity. Re-dipping or spritzing with saltwater should keep it uncontaminated for another week. I cannot seem to last that long. Even though the outer 1/8" or 1/4" is dry and crusty, it is still very edible. I don't trim it. I've had nothing but good results doing this. There is a noticable difference compared to wet aging. I cook it slower since it has less moisture to lose before being dry.

Lang Price,

Great post. It's nice to see someone talking about dry aging. I don't get to exchange experiences on the subject very much because it's hard to find people who do it.

- Regarding brining to create a salt film, I see you do it for safety reasons. Does it effect the salt level after cooking? I apply a single, light salt rub before putting them in but I'm wondering if I should do more.

- Do you use the cheesecloth simply as a sling, or to wick off moisture, or...? I've seen recomendations to cover loosely in clean towels and change them at X intervals but I don't do that. I just put them on clean racks in a dedicated fridge and flip them every now and then.

I wish there was more info available on the subject. Most of the info I've found gives specific steps, but there's very little on why they recommend certain steps. I'd also like to see more about things like safety parameters and the reasoning behind it.

Thanks in advance.

Joseph,

I do the salt film for surface anti-microbial reasons. The cheesecloth soaks up any weeping fluids in the first 3-5 days and I believe it also retards the drying a bit. The primary reason is to allow the enzimatic activity and not end up with jerky. I always wash the meat in warm water anyway before I season and cook it, so the salt film is lost. As a last comment, I like to roast it at 275F until about 115 internal, then I roast at 375 until 128F internal, let it rest for 20-30 min and it ends up about 135-140 internal. Just right for my taste, plenty of juice and all medium rare. The connective tissue in the lip still gets plenty of heat to denature it, but the inside is uniformly done med. rare.

For chicken, you must try soaking in buttermilk overnight. It is a great tenderizer and really works well.

All the best,

When OUTBACK rest. first opened a buddy of mine worked 4 them, and told me that all steaks were vat tenderised in milk. don't know how true this was.

j foley

J>F

A cultured milk product has more lactic acid, which is what they say breaks down connective tissue, muscle, etc. Pinapple and papaya marinades digest the meat with enzymes. I wish I had taken more chemistry. Food chemistry knowledge is vital to getting the maximum out of what so ever you cook or prepare. Good thing there are lots of folks on the web. I learn all the time, especially here.
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Satan has no claim on my soul---anymore. I pray all men consider the choice between the two eternities facing them. This life passes to quickly.

Please, Thread, don't die.........let's talk about denatured collagen or something.