Visiting a new shop in Denver made me question the whole 'dry-aged for 90 days' trend

I was in Denver last week and checked out a fancy new butcher spot that opened near the river... they had a whole case just for dry-aged beef, with signs everywhere saying 'minimum 90 days'. I get the appeal, but after tasting a ribeye they sold me, I'm not sold. The flavor was so strong it almost tasted like blue cheese, and the meat lost a lot of its juice. It cost me $42 a pound. I've been cutting meat for fifteen years, and in my view, pushing aging that far just makes a steak taste like one note. It feels more like a show for customers than about making the best bite. For my money, a good 28 to 35 day age gives you that nutty taste without wrecking the texture. Has anyone else cut into a 90-day piece and felt it was more about the story than the steak?

3 comments

3 Comments

bens8118d ago

That blue cheese thing you mentioned about the deeper age is exactly what hit me. Took one bite and thought I was eating some fancy cheese instead of a steak. $42 a pound for something that needs a glass of water on the side, just embarrassing for my wallet.

price.tara1mo ago

That blue cheese flavor means it was probably closer to 120 days, not 90. A true 90-day age should have a deep, funky beefiness but not cross over into that sharp, almost cheesy note. The texture loss is a real issue though, and that's on them. They likely trimmed off too much of the protective crust, which is where all the moisture goes. A good shop knows how to trim it right to keep the steak juicy. You're spot on about 28-35 days being the sweet spot for most people.

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william_jackson651mo ago

@price.tara how can you tell the difference between funky beefiness and cheesy notes just from taste?