We received Cook’s Illustrated – The Science of Good Cooking as a Christmas gift. One of the articles mentioned that one can dry-age beef in the refrigerator at home. Over the years, we have had occasion to eat dry-aged beef steaks a number of times and they are good; but they are expensive and impossible to get where we live now. So we gave it a try. Our observations are that the meat cut more evenly, was more tender and easier to chew, had a very good flavor and lost no juice to the plate. It was an excellent way to prepare steak. You can see the full process of dry aging on our blog.
Ingredients
2 sirloin steaks
12 oz fingerling potatoes, cut to the size of the smaller ones
½ C shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 T extra virgin olive oil
½ t granulated garlic
½ t fresh ground pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T chopped fresh chives
2 large garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 green onions, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
Preparation
1. We wrapped each steak in three to four layers of cheese cloth. Then placed them on a small rack in the bottom of the refrigerator in the back corner of the bottom shelf where the temperature is 34* F. We left them there for four days then unwrapped them at dinner time. We proceeded to cook them in a lightly oiled (EVOO) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. We checked the internal temperature and flipped them after a minute or two and about one to two minutes after that the internal temperature was aver 130* F (140* F = medium rare). So we removed them and let them rest while we finished and plated the meal.
3. For the potatoes:
4. Place the cut potatoes, olive oil, pepper, salt, granulated garlic and red pepper flakes in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
5. Arrange potato mixture on a lightly oiled cookie sheet that will fit in you toaster oven if possible.
6. Bake at 400* F for 12 minutes or until almost fork tender.
7. Mix the cheese, chives, cilantro, fresh garlic and green onions and spread on top of the potatoes.
8. Bake for another 9 minutes at 400* F or until fork tender. Then remove and serve.
Credit: Foodista