Aging brisket


 
M

Morrey Thomas

TVWBB Super Fan
I suppose I have a two-fold question about brisket, but both are aging related.
First, I have heard the terms wet aged and dry aged. Would I be correct that dry aged means to hang unwrapped beef in a cooler for a length of time, then trim off the outside skin prior to cooking? Is wet aging simply allowing the beef to be aged in the cryovac it comes in until use?

I ask these questions for a reason. I bought a 7.5 pound angus brisket flat at Sams, of course it's cryovac sealed. The sell by date is 10 June, however, I won't be able to use the brisket until the 18 of June. I really prefer not to freeze the brisket, so will it be ok to leave in the fridge (coolest spot) until I use it which is over a week after the sell by date?
Thanks for all advice.
 
Courtesy bump. I wouldn't have an issue refrigerating it for a week, but there are people here who know the science a lot more than me so hopefully one of them will see this at the top and respond
 
Thanks John. I saw a program on the Travel Channel last night (Andrew Zimmern) and they were dry aging beef for over a month in a specialty controlled room. Said beef was best ever! Hope someone responds to this post for wet aging advice.
 
Keeping the brisket in the original cryovac at constant cold temperatures is wet aging, at least that's how I define it. Couple of key point to ensure it is successful - fridge must be cold, not opened thirty times per day. Ideally, 34-38 degrees. Make sure the cryovac isn't broken. If large bubbles form, you may have a leak and should cook or freeze immediately. Sell by date is useless, what you need is the pack date and that is typically only available on the case the brisket came in. Some people go 50+ days past the pack date, so unless the case of briskets was at your store for a long time, you should be okay.

I will add that freezing it shouldn't be a problem either, just give it a nice slow thaw in the fridge. I generally buy a case, wet age in my beer fridge, and then freeze.
 
Morrey,
Pat is correct. The critical part of wet aging is the constant temperature of the fridge. This is why some people have another fridge that they use for wet aging. If the temperature is constantly fluctuating due to multiple door openings, then you could have a problem. You should put the brisket on the bottom shelf and in the back, turn the fridge to the coldest setting, and limit door openings. Another trick is to put jars or something that will block the front of the shelf. This will hinder the flow of the cold air out of the fridge, when you open it. A few minutes after opening the brisket smell it and your nose will tell you if the meat has turned. However, with such a short aging time, you should have no issues.
Lance
 
Thanks for the brisket aging advice guys! I understand the need to keep temperatures constant while the meat is going through the aging process. I saw a chef on a TV show talk about aging ribeyes since I made this post. He suggested buying the beef, sealing the steaks individually with a vacuum sealer system, then aging in a CONSTANT temperature for 8 days prior to freezing. Says it makes a remarkable difference in the flavors. My brisket is in that 8 day aging cycle now, so I will cook this weekend. Many thanks.
 
Morrey,

Just had some aged brisket. My uncle bought a case of 5, so he had the pack date on there. We cooked the first 3 within a week of him buying it. The 4th brisket he wet aged for a month. The 5th he wet aged for 6 weeks. The uncooked brisket felt much more tender as it aged. The cooked brisket had a more pronounced beef flavor the longer it was aged.

You wouldn't want to dry age a brisket as you would be cutting of the majority of the thickness once it was aged. You would end up with a very thin piece of meat.
 
In Paul Kirk's book, Championship BBQ, he says that he ages his brisket for 3 weeks in his fridge, in original cryovac. I am holing 2 15lb ers now for 3-4 wks, Pack date was a couple weeks ago. No problem! I keep a temp gauge in front of the meat and check every time I open the door. Always just below 40.

Mark
 
I don't know how it works for brisket but you can also dry age your beef in the fridge. Put the unwrapped meat on a cooling rack set up on a sheet pan. Cover with a plain white cheap kitchen towel (you will need several). Put the meat in the lowest part of your fridge and make sure your fridge can hold 35 - 40 degrees. Every 24 hours take meat out, clean the sheet pan and swap the towel. Do this for a week. After the first week, get rid of the towel. continue to check the pan for any juices and clean accordingly. I've done standing rib roasts like this for up to 4 weeks. You will want to trim the beef before cooking.
 
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