Old timer at the swap meet told me to dry age for 10 days minimum

Ran into this retired butcher named Hank at a farmers market in Austin. He said most home guys pull their beef too early and miss the real flavor. I tried his 10 day rule on a rib roast last month and the difference was night and day. The crust got this deep nutty taste I never got before. Has anyone else had better luck with longer dry aging times at home?

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coleman.jade2mo ago

Used to pull mine at 4 or 5 days thinking that was plenty. That nutty crust you mentioned is exactly what changed my mind. Tried a 12 day ribeye once and the outside was almost like aged cheese in a good way, not funky but deep and rich. For me the sweet spot is right around 10 to 12 days, after that it can get a little too much if your setup isnt perfect. Never going back to short aging again.

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leo_campbell2mo ago

Four days is plenty if you know what you're doing with the cooking technique. @coleman.jade I respect the 12 day experiment but you're basically letting bacteria do the work and hoping it doesn't go sideways. Most home fridges aren't built for that long of an age without some kind of mold or off smells creeping in. I've had a 10 day strip that tasted like musty basement because the humidity was off by 5%. The nutty crust thing is real but not worth the risk when a short age plus a hard sear gets you 90% of the way there without losing 30% of the meat to trimming. If you're running a dedicated cold room with fans and probes sure go long, but for a normal person with a regular fridge the 4-5 day window is safer and still tastes damn good.

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