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A visit to a small farm in Vermont made me rethink my whole approach to aging beef
I was helping a friend process a steer at his place last fall, and he insisted we hang the quarters in his old barn for 28 days at 38 degrees. I thought it was a waste of time for a home freezer. But the flavor and tenderness after that month were so much better than my usual 14-day hang. Now I'm pushing for longer aging on certain cuts at my own shop. Has anyone else had a big change in their process after seeing something done differently on a farm?
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hannah4006d ago
That part about the old barn at 38 degrees is key. Most home setups or even small shops can't hold that steady temp and humidity for a full month. It's not just time, it's the right environment. If it fluctuates, you get a different, sometimes worse, result. Your friend's barn was probably perfect by accident. Makes you wonder how much historic knowledge we lost by moving everything to controlled, fast facilities.
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daniel1405d ago
My uncle tried to age cheese in his garage and it smelled like a gym sock died in there. He had the right idea but his temperature swung from a freezer to a sauna every day. That old barn knowledge wasn't just about being steady, it was about the whole building breathing just right. We probably lost a hundred little tricks like that when we swapped them for a digital readout and a hurry-up attitude.
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