The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 352
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factorasyou’dthink,andwe’llfindoutwhysoon.
SelectingMeattoAge
Q:WhatcutofmeatshouldIbuyforaging?
To age meat properly, you need a large cut that is best
cooked with quick-cooking methods. This makes the
standard steak house cuts—New York strip, rib, and
porterhouse—theidealcutsforaging.(seehereformoreon
the four high-end steaks you should know.)The easiest to
findwhole(andmypersonalfavorite)istherib.
Q:What’stheminimumsizeI’llneedforproperaging?
CanIageasinglesteak?
Nope, unfortunately you can’t age individual steaks. You
could wrap the steaks in cheesecloth or paper towels, set
them on a rack, and leave them in the fridge for about a
week, but during that time, no detectable texture or flavor
changes will occur. Try to age them even longer, and
(assumingtheydon’tstartrotting)themeatgetssodriedout
as to be completely inedible. After trimming away the
desiccatedandslightlymoldybits(perfectlynormalfordryaged meat), you are left with a sliver of meat about a halfcentimeterthick,impossibletocooktoanythinglowerthan
well-done,makingyoureffectiveyieldabigfatzero.
The simple truth is that in order to dry-age, you need
largecutsofmeat,andyouneedtoagetheminopenair.
Q:So,oftheselargercutsofmeat,whatshouldIlook
for?
Rib sections come in several different forms, each with its
ownnumericaldesignation.
• The103isthemostintact.It’sanentireribsection(with
ribs 6 through 12 of the steer), along with a significant
portionoftheshortribs,thechinebonecompletelyintact
andalargeflapoffatandmeat(called“liftermeat,”notto
beconfusedwiththecovetedspinalisdorsis)coveringthe
meaty side. It’s unlikely you’ll find this cut even if you
askthebutcherforit.
• The107hasbeentrimmedsomewhat,withtheshortribs
cutshort,some(butnotall)ofthechinebonesawedoff,
and the outer cartilage removed.This is how rib sections
are commonly sold to retail butchers and supermarkets,
wheretheycanbefurtherbrokendown.
• The109A is considered ready to roast and serve. It has
had the chine bone nearly completely sawed off and the
liftermeatremoved.Thefatcapisthenputbackinplace.
• The 109 Export is essentially identical to the 109A,
except it does not have the fat cap.This is the cut you’ll
see on your Christmas table or at that fancy-pants hotel
buffet.Themeatonthiscutisonlyminimallyprotectedon
theoutside.
I aged a 107, a 109A, and a 109 Export in a mini-fridge
(this one fromAvanti) set at 40°F, in which I had placed a
smallcomputerfantoallowforaircirculation(Ihadtocuta
smallnotchinthesealingstriparoundthedoorsothefan’s
cordcouldpassthrough),simulatingadry-agingroomona
small scale. I made no attempt to regulate the humidity,
which bounced around from 30 and 80 percent (higher at
