Aged Prime rib

Wrapped in cheese cloth

I wrap mine in one layer of cheese cloth and place on rack as Rangers picture shows. Place in well ventilated refrigerator on a rack with plenty of room for air movement at 35-38 degrees not in a drawer. Try to keep door opening at a minimum although with today's quick recovery units it should not be a problem. After 24 hours, unwrap and re-wrap and place back on rack. Age for desired amount of time.

I have a designated cooler for my aged food products and age my rib roast min 30 days. There will be a little trimming to do when aging is completed but the end results will be wonderful. Many wet age, which will tenderize the meat with desirable results but it does not produce the flavor that the dry age process will produce.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Pictures of my cooler.



Pork Belly, Country Ham and Dry Aging Rib Roast

Mr. T....looks like you're all ready to go for the Apocalypse Seriously...nice looking reach-in.

The only thing I would add to Mr T's post is to check the age of the meat prior to dry aging. Not always easy to know when purchasing from a food club. Generally, they turn around meat within 14 days of slaughter. You can dry age 30 - 50 days from date of slaughter. Mr. T's mention of 30 days is a pretty safe bet.

A high humidity factor (60-70%) in your cooler will help reduce shrinkage.

IMHO dry aging quality beef is well worth the effort.

I thought that you could not dry age beef that was cryo packed/wet aged?

Not so. Virtually all of the dry aged (prime) ribs I've done originated in Cryo. After removing it from the plastic, I pat dry with paper towels, wrap with 3 layers of cheesecloth and place on a sheet pan in the walk-in.

Again, knowing the slaughter date helps in determining the lenght of dry aging.

At which point I'm ready to process the meat, the ends are the color of chocolate and usually require about 1/2 inch of trim on either end, plus a trim of the fat cap and back side, where the Chine bones once were.

Max
Thanks for the insight

John

MaxQ RangerDF,
Thanks for filling in what I left out. Sometimes I take too much for granted. I get most of my meat from a processor at wholesale. They kill pigs on Wednesday’s and I pick it up on Thursday. The pork belly comes in a plastic bag as seen on the bottom right of the bottom picture above. Next to it is a pork butt that I picked up at the grocery. The pork butts the processor had that day were bigger than I wanted. The belly was in the cure within hours of getting home, the butt will age in its package a couple weeks before it sees the Cookshack.

Presently the humidity of the cooler is set to fluctuate between 70 – 78%. The air temperature swings between 32 - 39°. Product temperature is kept at 34 - 35°. Surely much like yours.

After checking my notes I found that Bern's Steak House in Tampa dry ages their Delmonico rib eyes at 34° with 74% humidity. Maybe DLS could comment on their steaks.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:After checking my notes I found that Bern's Steak House in Tampa dry ages their Delmonico rib eyes at 34° with 74% humidity. Maybe DLS could comment on their steaks.

.

Mr. T - I've been to Bern's several times, but it's been a while. I can't comment on the temps and humidity used for their dry aging, but the numbers you state look pretty well in line with most others. They do state that they dry age their meat for 5-10 weeks.

The steaks I've had at Bern's have always been excellent, but I think the restaurant has started suffering somewhat in the past few years with too much overkill at a time when people, who are still looking for quality, are looking for it in simpler venues.

Aged Prime rib day 7

Aged Prime rib day 7. I have an urge to add some spices??

quote:

Originally posted by RangerDF:
Aged Prime rib day 7. I have an urge to add some spices??

Is that a roast with a beer back?
Lookin good. How long are you going to age it?

40 days, Until Christmas. Yes, I keep a little beer around for flavor

Aged Prime Rib day 14

Aged Prim rib day 14 another view. looking good

RangerDF,
Looking good, but what is it doing out of the fridge? It will be okay. Your in danger of falling in love with it , then not wanting to cut it up. I start aging mine the 1st. of December for when our daughter arrives the first week of the new year .

Only out for 2-3 minutes to wrap in cheese cloth and take a picture. I read where some wrap it and some don't.

I undererstand. Just funning.
As for wrapping, I have done it both ways. If I were doing it commercially it wouldn't be wrapped as a cost saver. Personally it's my feeling that less trimming is needed when finished, so I wrap.

I wrapped it for the first 2 days, then took it off for the last two weeks. I think it just sitting there scared my wife so I wrapped it yesterday.

quote:

Originally posted by RangerDF:
I think it just sitting there scared my wife

Oh my, sounds like you need your own fridge with a lock on it.

How do you plan to cook it? I use the salt crusted technique. The finished results are tender juicy meat from the center to the outer edge. If smoke is desired it can be smoked a short time either before or after cooking.

I haven't really thought too much about how to cook it yet. I was thinking of smoking it like Smokie's 101. I have an 025 model Cookshack. I have done a roast salt crusted before. I'll give it some thought.

Aged Prime Rib day 21... halfway there and looking good

quote:

Originally posted by RangerDF:
Aged Prime Rib day 21... halfway there and looking good

Did a 7 bone, bone-in rib roast last night. I had let it sit in the fridge for 26 days. Noticed it had a funky smell to it. Not quite like spoiled but odd. And it had some what of a film on it. Wash it off and dried well, then let it sit over night and again washed and dried.

Then i coated with Lea & Perins, and coated with Montreal steak seasonings. Cooked for about 3 1/2 hours at 300 till it hit 130.

Had a great flavor, and was very tender. The best out of the dozen I have done.


RandyE

quote:

Originally posted by Randy E:
I had let it sit in the fridge for 26 days. Noticed it had a funky smell to it. Not quite like spoiled but odd.


RandyE

Was that wet or dry aged for 26 days?

If this is your first try at dry aging, you will notice an unusual, not to be meant as a negative, "gamey" odor which is normal, the smell is predominantly from the natural enzymes which break down the tissue . Some say that dry aged beef is a "acquired taste".

As for seasoning, it's my opinion that all it needs at most is a little salt and pepper. I do not want to cover up the flavor that took so much to acquire.

T, it was dry aged. This is the first time I had bought a bone in, and it was simply wrapped in butcher paper.

I have done about a dozen in the past. But all others had been wet aged.

RandyE

Randy,
Two reasons for the slime are it was not removed from the wrapping paper or if it was the same result could be caused by insufficient air circulation. It is essential that there is good air flow around the meat. It should also be placed on a rack so air can circulate on the underside also. Do not crowd with other foods or an upper shelf. You will also have better results by removing the bones or buying a boneless rib roast before aging.

If yours was done differently, don't be discouraged, try it again when conditions are better.

Well, you live and learn. It did not have air flow. That is very true. Had plenty of room in the fridg. It was about the only thing in there. Now it's got 500lb of brisket.

Got the bone in because it was on sell. After cutting it I will not be buying another. Most of the others I have done were for meals, and I was able to get around 15 servings out of one loin. The bone in made it hard to get sliced the same way.

RandyE

Aged Prime Rib day 28

My mouths watering, how about yours?

I was going to take some pictures on day 35 but not much had changed at least picture wise. It looks good, pretty dry, firm and cold to the touch. I hope that is a good thing. I think it smells good, kind of like a hamburger just of the grill but a lot milder. I plan on seasoning with S/P and rosemary paste on Christmas eve, wraping in platic wrap and back in the fridge. i'm going to pull it out about 6am Christmas morning and let it come to room temp, hour and a half. Into the 025 about 7:30am. I'm going to start at 190 for about an hour and then 220 until it reaches 100 internal, looking at about 1-3 hours in the smoker. Then into the oven at 400 until it reaches 125 (is that to high?)Then FTC for about 2 hours. I'm giving myself a total time of 7 hours start to finish. Dinner about 1- 1:30pm to get it finished. I'm makeing AU Jus and Horseradish sauce. What do you think? Amy suggestions or changes?? Yes I'm excited!!!

When doing a small prime rib in my smokette, I had a problem the first time with the wood catching fire when I started out with a cold smoker. I think it was probably something to do with the 20 minute warmup along with the lower starting cook temp(180*).

This made me prewarm the smoker the next time, that seemed to work better, I only use a couple small pieces of wood.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

RangerDF - Sounds like you've got something good going on there. I'm now dry aging a roast for NY Eve, but got started a little late so it will go for about 3 weeks by then.

When I do a PR, or any other roast, I pre-salt and refrigerated it, uncovered, 12-24 hours. I then bring it to room temp and pre-heat my smoker to 180°. I smoke it to an IT of 115°-120°. I then remove the roast, loosely foil it, an let it rest for 30-40 minutes. I pre-heat the oven to 550°, and at the end of the rest period, I put the roast in the oven for 7-9 minutes. When finished, I remove the roast and slice and serve, or FTC as needed. The process produces a perfect medium rare roast from center to edge every time.

As a rule, I usually just add S&P to the roast prior to cooking. On occasion, I'll add some finely ground Montreal Steak Seasoning. Last year, on a whim, I decided to try a rosemary and garlic paste with good results. The paste is the subject of a thread located here.

Good luck, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and Merry Christmas.

quote:

Originally posted by RangerDF:
It looks good, pretty dry, firm and cold to the touch. I plan on seasoning with S/P and rosemary paste on Christmas eve, wraping in platic wrap and back in the fridge. i'm going to pull it out about 6am Christmas morning and let it come to room temp, hour and a half. Into the 025 about 7:30am. I'm going to start at 190 for about an hour and then 220 until it reaches 100 internal, looking at about 1-3 hours in the smoker. Then into the oven at 400 until it reaches 125 (is that to high?)Then FTC for about 2 hours. I'm giving myself a total time of 7 hours start to finish. Dinner about 1- 1:30pm to get it finished. I'm makeing AU Jus and Horseradish sauce. What do you think? Amy suggestions or changes?? Yes I'm excited!!!

Ranger,
It's doing just fine. As for seasoning, Go light (S&P) is all that will be needed. You don't want to cover up the naturally unique beef flavor here. You may even not season at all and just allow your guest to season with Kosher salt and pepper at the table. If you feel it needs more, try it on your next one, but I doubt if you will.

When trimming, shave or trim down to the red meat while meat is still cool or place in freezer for a half hour prior to trimming.. It may seem that you are taking a good portion off and you may. Figure a 30% loss in weight.

Baking, no need to make it complicated. As you know, I prefer salt crusting mine in order to hold the moisture in. It produces a roast that has the same texture from the center to the outer edge and is very moist, AU Jus is not needed. As for horseradish, that's up to you. Many think it should be paired with prime rib. I will use it at times when having a lesser cut of meat. Again this is a quality piece of meat and should be treated so. Treat it as a very expensive high quality steak, as it is.

I cook mine at 300° and it is usually done in 1.5 hours depending on finished target. For rare pull at 115°, Med rare 120°, Med 130-135°. For your guest that prefer their meat a little more done, give them the end pieces as the closer to the center the more rare.

Enjoy, will be waiting for your results.

PS: Will be having ours sometime during the first week of the new year.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll skip the rosemary and maybe use just a little salt and pepper. I will put a couple of Rosemary sprigs in the fire box with 4 oz Cherry wood. I think I will preheat the smoker as well. I'm not sure about the trimming part. The roast looks pretty good. No severe dark areas. Maybe a few medium dark spots on the fat side. The ends don't look too bad either. Should I trim the ends down to red meat. The bones are still on and I think they have been cut off and retied. I made a very plain AUJ Ju today with just beef broth, a little onion and one mushroom. Simmered and strained.

quote:

Originally posted by dls:
RangerDF - Sounds like you've got something good going on there. I'm now dry aging a roast for NY Eve, but got started a little late so it will go for about 3 weeks by then.

When I do a PR, or any other roast, I pre-salt and refrigerated it, uncovered, 12-24 hours. I then bring it to room temp and pre-heat my smoker to 180°. I smoke it to an IT of 115°-120°. I then remove the roast, loosely foil it, an let it rest for 30-40 minutes. I pre-heat the oven to 550°, and at the end of the rest period, I put the roast in the oven for 7-9 minutes. When finished, I remove the roast and slice and serve, or FTC as needed. The process produces a perfect medium rare roast from center to edge every time.

As a rule, I usually just add S&P to the roast prior to cooking. On occasion, I'll add some finely ground Montreal Steak Seasoning. Last year, on a whim, I decided to try a rosemary and garlic paste with good results. The paste is the subject of a thread located here.

Good luck, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and Merry Christmas.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What he does! Turns out perfect every time. Love the smoke and reverse sear.

I use Montreal Steak Seasoning all around roast and bones, cradled and tied. Picked mine up yesterday already seasoned, tied and cryovac. 3 days in the seasoning should be just fine. Must be. I was the 20th person in line at the meat market. Everyone picking up prime rib already seasoned, except 1 turducken. 300 folks getting there's yesterday, today and tomorrow, and the list was still growing. They keep coming back. Works for them. Can't wait. An expensive hunk of meat.

I just looked at the roast again. It is so firm I don't think any salt, etc will stick to it very well anyway. One end is cut right next to the bone and would be difficult to trim that end without removing the bone.

I would remove the bone before cooking as some trimming may be needed behind the bone. This is the reason to purchase boneless.

quote:

Originally posted by RangerDF:
It is so firm I don't think any salt, etc will stick to it very well anyway.

Ranger,
When you trim , trim down to fresh, moist, red meat. The meat surrounding the bone will be dried and useless, not meant for consumption.

Keep in mind there is a difference between fresh or wet aged meat and dry aged. In the end, you will see how simple the whole process really is.

I'm anxious for you.
T