DIY Dry Aged Steak – Who Needs a Steakhouse?

Growing up, I didn’t eat much steak. For me and many others, going out to a steak dinner was a real treat. For an eight year old, little is more empowering than ordering your own steak and being the master of your own destiny at the baked potato station and salad bar. Occasionally, I could convince my parents to take me to what I considered to be a fine eating establishment, the highly coveted steak buffet, which offered not only your choice of steak, potato and salad options but also a self-serve soft serve machine with all the sprinkles you wanted. Glorious.

For a time, 12 years in fact, I gave up eating beef. After reading up on conventional beef production and the horrifying treatment of these animals, I just couldn’t do it. Not until I was able to source meat from organic, pasture-raised operations, who are given a good life, fed appropriately and treated humanely, did I eat beef again. Fortunately, there are many great sources for beef these days as the public has demanded to know where their food comes from and have formed a more intimate relationship with their food. Among others, Joel Salatin, American farmer, food activist and author can be thanked for helping to bring these issues to light. If you’re looking for an enlightening read, I would suggest picking up one of his many books. Two great ones I can recommend are Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: A Food Buyers Guide to Farm Friendly Food and Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People and a Better World. Joel does ramble on a bit, as indicated by his highly verbose book titles, but he knows what he’s talking about.

It’s been almost one year since reintroducing beef into my diet. I have a lot to learn about how to prepare this protein since I missed out on over a decade of practice. There have been lots of ground beef meals, which seem fairly forgiving, and even a few attempts at roasts to varying degrees of success. So far, my favorite way to enjoy beef is a nice steak, grilled to medium rare doneness. Porterhouse is my favorite (just like my Dad) followed by the Ribeye.

My husband and I are lucky enough to live in a state with good access to quality, grass-fed beef. In the food world, there is a lot of controversy about this statement but I’m going there anyway:  cows are meant to eat grass, not corn or wheat or soy or candybars. The industrialized food system has introduced these “foods” to cattle to fatten them up quicker, and bring them to slaughter faster. It’s also arguably meant to make the beef cheaper for consumers.

All controversy aside, grass-fed beef has some measurable health benefits. Grass-fed beef is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, lower in fat than conventionally grown beef, higher in vitamins A and E and has higher levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). The downside to grass-fed beef would be the price. It can be about $2.00-$3.00 more per pound than conventionally produced beef. A great way to save money on quality grass-fed beef is to purchase a share of beef from a local producer. You can save money, know exactly where your food is sourced from and also get to try a few new cuts that aren’t typically found at your supermarket.

Now, grass-fed beef, given its lower fat content does have something to prove to corn-fed beef. The flavor is delicious but does lack some of the richness of standard beef, which is usually much fattier. In order to kick up our grass-fed steak, Dan suggested that we attempt dry-aging it… at home. Every great steak you’ve ever had was likely dry-aged for around 30 days. Dry-aging is essentially a slow dehydration process that breaks down the muscle proteins, resulting in a dense, more tender steak. This breakdown of muscle simultaneously encourages the formation of peptides and amino acids, which impart a smokier and “meatier” taste.

Generally dry-aging is done large scale, in humid refrigerators set at between 32 and 40 degrees F. But according to my Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook, this can be replicated at home, in the back of your refrigerator. Since Cook’s Illustrated has yet to let me down, we decided to give it a go! We also decided to be very scientific about this and do a side by side comparison to an equally-sized non-dry aged cut, to see what the difference in flavor was.

Per Cook’s Illustrated, we purchased two thick cut ribeye steaks. They also recommend a strip steak as a good option for home dry aging. Both steaks measured in at about .94 lbs each and had about the same fat content and shape. While we dry aged one steak, the other steak was wrapped in plastic and kept in the freezer.

With a square of cheesecloth, or a clean tea towel, wrap the steak up nicely. According to the instructions, this is done to prevent the steak from drying out too much since home refrigerators are less humid than commercial dry-aging units.

I created a sort-of burrito out of the tea towel and set the steak on a small baking sheet with a wire rack fitted. The theory here was to create an environment where air could move around the whole steak, rather than just the top. Put the steak (or steaks) in the back of your refrigerator, where the temperature is coldest. Then, just leave it alone for four (or in our case, five) days.

On the fourth day, I removed the second steak from the freezer and let it thaw out in the fridge. On the fifth day, I removed the dry aged steak from its blanket and compared it to the other steak. There was a noticeable change in the size and color of the dry aged steak, as was expected. The weight went from .94 lbs to .78 lbs!

Although Cook’s Illustrated didn’t specify, we decided to trim any really firm, dark pieces from the dry aged steak. With the use of a sharp knife, there wasn’t much additional loss of meat.

Next, as we always do when grilling, we drizzled both steaks with a little olive oil and coated them generously with salt and pepper. Dan cooked them on a blazing hot grill until they were both cooked equally to about medium-rare doneness.

After we grilled up the steaks, let them rest and divided them up on our plates, they pretty much looked the same. The steak below on the left, is the dry aged and the one on the right is the one we kept in the freezer. All that was left was the taste test.

The verdict? The dry aged steak was noticeably more tender. Dan noted that we didn’t have to chew it as much, which I guess isn’t really the most appetizing review but a positive one, nonetheless, when it comes to steak. Since we were really concentrating on the flavor of these steaks, we agreed that the dry aged one was more “meaty” but that it was very subtle. The rendered fat on the dry aged steak, however, was far better than the non-dry aged steak  Both steaks were great but the dry aged one was definitely the superior steak.

Dan and I are sure that if we could dry age the steak even longer, the flavor would be that much more distinct. However, we had already “pushed the envelope” on this process since Cook’s Illustrated only felt comfortable with home dry aging four days, and we’d gone one more. I think we’ll add a few days on our dry aging next time and see what the consequences are. Live a little, eh?

So, was it worth it? I’d say yes. For the amount of work we had to put into dry aging, which amounts to little more than putting a diaper on it and sticking it in the back of the fridge, the reward is high. How many steaks have you cut with a butter knife, after all? The most difficult part is the wait, in my opinion. Dry aging really improved the flavor of our grass-fed steaks and we saved a TON of money by tackling this at home, rather than going to a steakhouse. Furthermore, I know where this steak came from, and that’s worth a lot to me.

So far, Cook’s Illustrated hasn’t let me down. I’m tempted to find the grossest recipe I can and give that a try. Tempt fate. There can’t seriously be 2,000 perfect recipes in this cookbook, can there?!

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and… Anchovies!

Many would argue that broccoli is one of the most universally hated veggies. Some of our parents tried to conceal broccoli in a cloak of pasteurized process cheese product in the hopes that we would clear our plates and eat our veggies. Even our forty-first president, George H. W. Bush, famously despised broccoli. Along with other vegetables in the Brassica family (cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips, etc.), broccoli gets a really bad rap.

My family’s unwavering dedication to Ranch dressing helped me to enjoy plenty of fresh vegetables growing up, including broccoli. To me, raw carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower were nothing more than carriers for Ranch dressing.

There were times when I snubbed the vegetable, though, particularly when it was overcooked. Overcooked broccoli is absolutely inexcusable and is a surefire way to seal the deal on distaste for this vegetable. Perhaps this is why so many folks are anti-broccoli?  Too many servings of boiled, mushy masses of broccoli will do that to a person.

Even though broccoli doesn’t rank as my absolute favorite vegetable – the list is pretty extensive – I probably eat it more regularly than any other. It’s inexpensive, available year-round, quick to prepare and really healthy. I usually just steam broccoli on the stove top and serve it with butter or lemon. Nothing too creative but delicious, nonetheless.

This 100 First Tastes project has inspired me to find a new way to enjoy broccoli and I found a really interesting recipe in my Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook – Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Anchovies. Now I know what you’re thinking but hear me out. Even more than broccoli, anchovies get a really bad rap. This is because they aren’t utilized properly and many people think they don’t like anchovies even though they do like Cesar salad and Worcestershire sauce. This recipe was the ultimate pairing of culinary underdogs so I just had to try it out. Here’s the modified recipe I used:

1 large head of broccoli

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 anchovy fillets, minced

1 teaspoon thyme

I usually steam broccoli and was concerned that this preparation would take too long. Fortunately, this recipe is just as quick to prepare and is ready in about 10 minutes. I enjoyed it alongside the Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf, also sourced from this cookbook. Here’s how:

Adjust your oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Wash up your broccoli and cut off the florets. Remove the outer peel from the stalk (it can be a little tough to chew through) and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

Place broccoli in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated.

Transfer broccoli to a large rimmed baking sheet or baking pan. Roast broccoli until stalks are tender and florets are well browned. This should take about 10 minutes.

While the broccoli is roasting, melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Add minced garlic and anchovies. If you are worried about any residual fishy flavor or the dish being too salty, you can rinse and pat dry the fillets before mincing. Cover and cook until anchovies have largely melted and garlic is softened. Remove from heat and stir in thyme. Toss roasted broccoli with mixture.

Here’s what you’re looking for. Roasted up nicely, with some yummy charred bits in there too!

This was a really delicious way to prepare broccoli. It was also a fantastic way to sneak in some anchovies! Aside from being tasty, did you know that anchovies are actually good for you? Here are some reasons why you should have anchovies in your life:

1. They are full of those healthful essential fatty acids everyone is trying to get in their diet. 
2. Since anchovies are a small and have a short lifespan, they contain fewer environmental toxins which are common to fish.
3. Anchovies add umami – the elusive “fifth flavor”- to your dishes. (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami)
4. They are full of Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus,  B12 and B6. A jar of anchovies is cheaper than a jar of these supplements! Food = Medicine.

There was nothing fishy about this dish and I will definitely be making this again. A little sweet, a little salty, perfectly balanced. Who knew the redheaded step children of the culinary world, with their powers combined, could make such a delicious dish? Cook’s Illustrated knew, that’s who.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf: Meaty Decadence

Meatloaf. What can I say?

Covered in brown gravy, fried up for a sandwich, stuffed with hard boiled eggs or slathered in ketchup, there are countless ways to doctor up what is essentially a pile… er loaf… of ground meat.

Like Tuna Noodle Casserole and the meat-filled aspic dishes of yesteryear, the humble meatloaf seems to have fallen out of favor in the modern American kitchen. Until this year, I had never attempted a meatloaf or even had much interest in doing so. But since acquiring a deep freezer and sourcing a large abundance of grass-fed beef, much of which is ground, I have been looking for creative ways to use it up. Since I’m not up for grilling burgers every night, a meatloaf seemed like a good option.

As there are so many recipes for meatloaf and surely thousands of really bad ones, I decided that my best bet for a simple meatloaf was to reference a recipe from my Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. I was gifted this awesome cookbook, along with a couple pairs of socks (???) by my great friends Brent and Beth. This hefty cookbook boasts 2,000 recipes from 20 years of their magazine publication. If you aren’t familiar with Cook’s Illustrated, you should definitely track down a magazine, cookbook or tune into their PBS program, America’s Test Kitchen. 

What’s so great about this franchise is that they test the hell out of every recipe, cooking technique and piece of kitchen equipment to determine the absolute best approach, recipe or product. Cook’s Illustrated, as the title suggests, does offer plenty of black and white illustrations which are particularly helpful for those of you who are engineer-minded and don’t understand the “add a pinch” or “season to taste” directives.

There were two meatloaf recipes to choose from, but only one promised to be wrapped up in a bacon blanket or as Dan called it, a meat coffin, so that’s the one we chose to make. The recipe we selected was Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with a Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze. True to form, I made some adjustments to the recipe. It did call for ground chuck, pork and veal but I just stuck with what I had in my fridge, organic grass-fed beef. Here’s the modified Recipe I used:

Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze 

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Meatloaf

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 whole milk (can substitute almond milk)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (or more)

2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (2 slices sprouted wheat bread)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

8-12 slices bacon

I wouldn’t say this is a weeknight meatloaf. It does take a little prep time and, in my opinion, quite a few ingredients. But, this is a SERIOUSLY delicious meatloaf. You could totally slice up this unassuming meatloaf and serve it at a dinner party. It’s that good. Plus, this recipe serves six to eight people, or a couple for several nights of leftovers, so it’s worth the effort.

This was a great recipe choice since we cook with grass-fed beef, which is notoriously lacking in the fat content found in conventionally raised beef. Wrapping the meatloaf in a layer of fatty bacon helped to impart great flavor and also really kept the meatloaf moist. I am also partial to the ketchup glaze in this recipe since I was raised on ketchup encrusted meatloaf.

First step, get all of those ingredients out on the counter! If you are making fresh breadcrumbs, I’d tackle that task. I just took two slices of sprouted wheat bread and popped them into my food processor with the s-blade on. Pulse the processor until you no longer have large pieces of bread. You can also just use pre-made bread crumbs or almond flour if you want to go gluten-free.

Next you can make the glaze. Just add the three ingredients to a small bowl, mix and set aside. You can also mix this directly into a small saucepan since you’ll need to heat up the remaining glaze to serve on the side once the meatloaf is cooked.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add to a skillet with olive oil. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mix spices and liquid ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add this to the ground beef, along with the bread crumbs, onions, garlic and fresh parsley.

With a fork, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Transfer to a 13 by 9-inch backing pan. With wet hands, pat mixture into a loaf shape, approximately 9 by 5-inches in size. Once you have formed the loaf, brush with half of the ketchup glaze.

Arrange bacon slices over the loaf, overlapping slightly. Tuck bacon tips securely under the loaf.

Put the meatloaf into preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for about 1 hour, or until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees. While your meatloaf is baking, simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened. This can be served on the side if desired.

Remove meatloaf and cool at least 20 minutes. Slice ‘er up and serve with extra glaze and something green and healthy!

And that’s how you make a meatloaf! 

For this recipe, I would really suggest getting the best bacon you can find. I really like Niman Ranch brand when I’m out of my locally sourced bacon. No matter what brand you choose, make sure you have thick-cut so the bacon and loaf will be done at the same time.

Once the meatloaf is done cooking, you’ll find that it’s swimming in a pool of glaze, beef juice and pork fat. For the love of God, don’t throw that out! Scoop a little out to enjoy with your meatloaf or mix with the remaining thickened glaze to form the best sauce you’ve ever had.

If you want to Paleo-hack this recipe, or come close to it, I would use coconut sugar or maple syrup instead of the brown sugar. I would also switch out ketchup for some simple tomato puree. Replace the bread crumbs with almond or de-fatted coconut flour and use some almond milk instead of cow’s milk. There’s an insignificant amount of sugar in the Worcestershire, in my opinion, so I wouldn’t worry about that.

I enjoyed this meatloaf with another new recipe, also from Cook’s Illustrated, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Anchovies. (Up next!) Any green veggie or hearty salad would be a great accompaniment, but the meatloaf will definitely steal the show.

I’m so glad I tried this recipe out and I hope this inspires a few other folks to give meatloaf the respect it deserves. The recipe proves once again that EVERYTHING is made better with bacon. Everything.