Isn’t dry aged ribeye supposed to be tender and flavorful?

[Shadowdog500]

Last night we ate at a relatively new resturant that is getting rave reviews. It took my wife a month or so just to get a reservation. It is also very expensive.

I never had dry aged beef before and wound up ordering the 22oz dry aged ribeye. It was cooked a perfect medium rare, but it was not tender or flavorful. Actually it was a tough piece of meat that had little flavor, but it did have a lot of spice that gave it surface flavor. It also had no marbling, which makes me wonder if they dry aged a choice or select cut of beef.

Is this normal, or did I just get a bad cut of beef?

I grill 1.5” thick prime grade ribeyes on my Weber performer with a slow and sear on almost a weekly basis in the summer and they are head and shoulders above what I was served last night.

Here is a photo of the steak I was served last night.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Hmmm , probably some grass fed - no grain finish cow.

Only steak I’ve ordered at a restaurant in a Long time - is chicken fried steak……….

.

 

[16Adams]

Hmmm , probably some grass fed - no grain finish cow.

Only steak I’ve ordered at a restaurant in a Long time - is chicken fried steak……….

.

Truth spoken, that sweet bran finish is awesome
Amen

 

[ModelMaker]

Scraggly pieces of green doth not a good steak make, it only adds $8 to the price!
Ed

 

[4ever3]

What you experienced is a sales rule old as the hills…

“Sell the sizzle not the steak”

People buy the sizzle, you were one of the few that took a bite and thought “what th’ HELL?” 99 people out of 100 that eat there do it just to say “oh yeah we’ve eaten there and it was AMAZING” because they like the thought of having done something that someone else hasn’t.

 

[Charny]

There is a lot of meat out there that has no flavor. Seems like that problem is getting more common, even with steaks that look good. And no matter what they do to gussy it up, it still has no flavor. Spice and 'dry aging' won't change that. And then there is the great meat, where every spec on your plate is a treat.. and the fat, the fat has insanely good flavor.

It is easy to say 'send it back' but I know sending it back during the service is a big hassle. They're counting on that, apparently. I would call them and talk to the manager or owner. Ask'em how it is they're serving that, and what they're going to do to make it right. At a min, refunding your lousy steak. But that can't fix your experience, and it alone likely won't get you to ever go back, or not tell the story (or post the honest review). Costco or average grocery meat is not very good these days, but when it is better than what they're serving, then they have a very, very serious problem.

Many years ago I took my folks to a great old certain steak house in Seattle. That's a city where you have a vast number of choices. This place has great food and amazing service. I split a Chateaubriand with Mom and it was great. Dad had a porterhouse.. medium well (yeah, I know). His steak was thin. Flavor was excellent, but it was just not what a porterhouse should be. I should have called it out the moment it was served, but I didn't want to make a big scene of it at the time and I knew that he would not have wanted that.

I called them a few days later. They sent me a gift cert, it was for more than the price of the steak - as it should be. but it doesn't matter, because nothing can fix that - because that memorable meal was memorable for the wrong reason. Still haven't used the cert, since I never got back there before I moved.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

I would have to wonder if it was truly Dry aged

 

[SmittyJonz]

I buy steaks at Kroger and H‑E‑B - who ever has some on Sale. Occasionally yellow tagged at Walmart. Mostly Kroger tho - one time it’ll be beefy n tasty, next Sale a few weeks Later - not so much.

 

[thirdeye]

That doesn't sound right to me. Did they happen to have a window so that customers can see into the aging room? Or did they explain their process on the menu?

 

[jbounds286]

i prefer NON aged steaks myself!

 

[sudsandswine]

Dry aging beef obviously removes some of the moisture content, which itself intensifies the flavors, let alone what can happen at the bacterial level. Good in = good out applies, but without knowing what they started with, it's only speculation. I have done a fair amount of beef dry aging at home, and I really only start noticing an improvement in flavor beyond 35 days. Many places that advertise dry aged beef say it's been "dry aged" for something like 21 days. That's not enough IMO. Also, beef sides are typically hung for 2-3 weeks at the processor so I think sometimes people play a little fast and loose with terminology.

Does the place do their dry aging in-house or are they outsourcing that? If they're not doing it in-house it's probably on the more minimally aged side.

 

[ssv3]

Dry aging beef obviously removes some of the moisture content, which itself intensifies the flavors, let alone what can happen at the bacterial level. Good in = good out applies, but without knowing what they started with, it's only speculation. I have done a fair amount of beef dry aging at home, and I really only start noticing an improvement in flavor beyond 35 days. Many places that advertise dry aged beef say it's been "dry aged" for something like 21 days. That's not enough IMO. Also, beef sides are typically hung for 2-3 weeks at the processor so I think sometimes people play a little fast and loose with terminology.

Does the place do their dry aging in-house or are they outsourcing that? If they're not doing it in-house it's probably on the more minimally aged side.

This!

I've dry aged and the sweet spot for me is the 45 day mark. That's when you really taste an earthy, concentrated beef flavor. You also have to dry age a prime grade at least. I've bought 21 day store dry aged choice ribeyes and you couldn't tell that it was aged at all. Most likely you were served a choice at best. The beef shouldn't be tough. A little firmness yes but def not tough or chewy.

Here is a CAB Prime I dry aged. Some of the best steaks I've ever made. Don't let the price shock you. This was 2015

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I'm not going to claim to be a great steak cook, but once I learned how to cook a decent steak it ruined most restaurant steaks for me.

 

[Shadowdog500]

The fact that it had no marbling makes me think that Smitty is right. After his comment I watched a video on how much dry aging improves different grades of beef and dry aging grass fed only brings it close to regular choice from that supermarket.

I also think Dustin Dorsey is right because I regularly buy 1.5” thick prime grade ribeyes from the local butcher and know how to grill them. I almost never eat ribs or other bbq out because they aren’t that good. There is a very short list of where I’ll get bbq.

I never had dry aged beef before and didn’t know to look for it in a case or even ask about it.
Don’t think I will be ordering another.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Rich Folk eat a lot of Chitty Food…………..

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'll take these Cheap Kroger Choice Ribeyes.........

.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Rich Folk eat a lot of Chitty Food…………..

Not if they know where to go and what to order! The only time we usually go out for meals like this is our birthdays and anniversary. We know where to go in our area for meals like that, and I usually eat seafood. This was just the new trendy place that we wanted to try. Don’t think we will be going again, but it is in a major tourist area on about the best location. I think they will do well.

We were sitting right on the ocean:

 

[SmittyJonz]

Not if they know where to go and what to order! The only time we usually go out for meals like this is our birthdays and anniversary. We know where to go in our area for meals like that. This was just the new trendy place that we wanted to try. Don’t think we will be going again, but it is in a major tourist area on about the best location. I think they will do well.

We were sitting right on the ocean:

Ya Some of it - other Crap they eat because that's what Rich ppl Eat - not because they like. Grass Fed Only is in that group.

Fish Eggs, Snails, Fungi, Wine, etc - "It's an Acquired Taste"- to me that means it takes like Chit , if it was Good I would Not Need to "Acquire" a taste for it........ :twitch:

So that place will do Well because it's On the Beach in a Tourist area, Not because their steaks are so Good........

.

 

[ssv3]

Not if they know where to go and what to order! The only time we usually go out for meals like this is our birthdays and anniversary. We know where to go in our area for meals like that, and I usually eat seafood. This was just the new trendy place that we wanted to try. Don’t think we will be going again, but it is in a major tourist area on about the best location. I think they will do well.

We were sitting right on the ocean:

Yup!

We have a lot great places in Malibu for example. Not really for the food but the views. The way I see it you're contributing towards the rent of the prime location. Beautiful views sure but the food is almost always meh. If I want real good food it's far from the glitzy areas and in places most people have no clue about. That includes fine dining.

When I was in West Palm Beach last year and asked for suggestions on a good steakhouse, everyone was raving "The Meat Market" so we went. Well it was definitely a meat market but the steaks and food were alright. :becky:

Reservation only and it was full shorty right after we got there. Ultimately we paid for the scene both inside and outside.

 

[ssv3]

Fish Eggs, Snails, Fungi, Wine, etc - "




.

These are some good chits :becky: I ain't rich but I do have friends that are and enjoy the funky foods with them.

Like this chit!! :hungry: sea urchin topped with foie gras topped with truffle bed black russian caviar.