If you want to make restaurant-quality steak at home without committing to years of culinary training, you need to start dry-aging your steak. There’s certainly a time and a place for grilling and busting out that fancy sous-vide machine you got as a gift for Christmas last year, but the buttery, tender richness that results from dry-aging steak is unmatched.
It is the same process your favorite steakhouse relies on, and all that is required from you at home is a little bit of patience and some fridge space. That’s right: the best way to get perfectly crusted, super tender steak at home is to dry-age the meat overnight in the refrigerator.
Why You Should Be Dry-Aging Your Steak
A go-to technique for passionate home cooks and professional chefs alike, dry-aging steak in the fridge overnight is a very simple and low-effort method to drastically improve a cute of steak prior to even being cooked. While it’s not “true” dry-aging compared to processes that can take a better part of many weeks, the overnight-method still still has a few things going for it. First, air-drying an uncovered steak in the chilled environment of a refrigerator removes surface moisture, meaning steak will brown exceptionally well and form a caramelized crust instead of softening and steaming from its own juices. Second, dry-aging allows for the natural enzymes contained inside steak to break down. So even after one night, the meat will take on a luxuriously tender texture when cooked.
And on the subject of cooking, bringing the steak to a slightly cold but dry state ensures it cooks more evenly when it hits the pan or grill. Once cooked, your steak will be tender on the inside, super caramelized and rich on the outside and concentrated in flavor from top to bottom.
How to Dry-Age Steak Without Really Trying
With just a few ingredients and tools, you’ll get the best steak you can ever cook at home. Here’s how it’s done. Unwrap your steak, and place it on a wire rack over a sheet pan or a plate. Next, pat the steak dry using a clean paper towel or kitchen cloth, then coat both sides of the steak with a generous amount of salt and pepper. According to YouTube content creator Cast Iron Chaos, best results will come from using a large-grain salt such as Kosher salt. Keeping the steak uncovered, take it to the fridge and allow it to rest overnight to dry out the surface of the steak. (Don’t worry, the inside of your steak will stay juicy.) Cook the prepared steak using a grill or cast-iron skillet.
Pair the perfectly crusted meat with a simple side dish—think roasted vegetables, French fries, an effortless green salad or pasta—and a robust red wine or craft beer to match the steakhouse-level dining experience.
If you think your steak doesn’t need the dry-age step, you need to think again. Dry-aging steak overnight in the fridge is the culinary equivalent of giving your steak a night of restful sleep before a big race. Chill it overnight, and it’s ready to shine in the heat.
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