Do you need cheesecloth to wrap around a dry aged beef?

If so, how many layers do I need to wrap them and how does it work?

I read from another article, that cheesecloth allows air to pass through while also preventing excessive dehydration since home refrigerators are less humid. But in my case, I control the humidity level at 80%-85% inside the cooler. Do I still need to wrap my beef with cheesecloth even though the environment is controlled?

beef dry-aging

Best Answer

Cheesecloth is not 'required' for dry aging, but it is helpful. You can substitute a wrapping of paper towels. You want something to absorb the moisture that will be released during the aging process. For a good primer on home dry aging see Alton Brown's "Porterhouse Rules"

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Quick Answer about "Do you need cheesecloth to wrap around a dry aged beef?"

Wrap the dry-aged beef (be it individual steaks or a whole roast) well in heavy duty plastic wrap or butcher paper. Place it in a plastic sealable bag with the air squeezed out. You can cryovac the beef, too. Aging beef is, well, an age-old process.

Can you dry age beef in cheesecloth?

Two: Unwrap the beef, rinse it well, and pat it dry with paper towels. Do not trim. Wrap the roast loosely in a triple layer of cheesecloth and set it on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet or other tray. Three: Refrigerate for three to seven days; the longer the beef ages, the tastier it gets.

Do you need a bag to dry age meat?

Wrapping it all up Dry-aging your beef is an excellent way to improve both its flavor and texture. Dry-aging bags are a great way to do this in your own home without needing to build an annex to house your giant meat-maturing fridge. You can build up to that.

What does wrapping meat in cheesecloth do?

Since home refrigerators are less humid than the commercial units used for dry-aging, we wrapped the steaks in cheesecloth to allow air to pass through while also preventing excessive dehydration and checked them after four days (the longest length of time we felt comfortable storing raw beef in a home fridge).

DIY DRY AGED BEEF

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