quote:Originally posted by Vicki B:
Hey guys, when you are referring to aging in the fridge, what exactly do you mean?
Yesterday I purchased an 12 lb brisket and two 4 lb flanks at RD, I put one flank in the freezer, but left 1 flank and the brisket in the fridge. How long can the RD cryo meats stay in the fridge if they are not dated with a use by? I have only aged meat (prime rib roast) out of package in fridge a few years ago. Help!
Nothing beats a well grilled, dry aged Delmonico steak. Unless you have a separate fridge with temp and humidity controls, it's impossible to do at home.
However, wet aging comes close to delivering the same flavor and tenderness...think of a Lexus vs a Mercedes
Two things are needed for wet aging, beef packed in Cry-O-Vac and a packing/slaughter date. The C.O.V. must be flawless - no holes or punctures or separated end seams. Meat properly sealed in C.O.V. will have ni air pockets and adheres to the meat very tightly.
Packing date vs "sell-by" date. Two entirely different things. If you know the packing date, you can wet age up to 50 days for large cuts such as packer brisket...30 days for smaller cuts. Sell-by dates (found on the price tag) will vary from store to store. Some times you'll see a sell by date stamped on to the C.O.V. ---usually on chicken, pork tenderloins and "added value" meat products (pre-sauced spare ribs for instance) That date is supplied by the packer and should be adhered to.
If you wish to wet age beef at home, ask your butcher to supply you with a packing date found on the shipping case. That's the only way you can reliably time line your wet aging limit.