So....yesterday was a full day of firsts for me. I've been wanting to age a large primal cut of beef for a LONG time but for some reason never did. During my research for the Pancetta I also did a lot of reading on aging beef. I figured what the heck, may as well give it a shot. The fridge that I was going to set up as a curing chamber for the Pancetta is now being used as an aging chamber for a big ol' chunk of beef. It is a side-by-side out in the garage. The fridge side is used for drinks in the Summer while we are working in the yard so we don't have to keep coming the house to satisfy our thirst. The freezer side is loaded full of sausage, which is why I was not able to use it as a curing chamber. I can't give up the freezer space.
We have a place about an hour and a half northeast of us that pasture raises all of their own beef, butchers it, and sells to whomever is willing to pay the price for it. They have an excellent reputation for providing outstanding quality meat so I thought I'd give them a call. I asked if I could get a 103 cut rib roast consisting of ribs 6 through 12. There was a pause on his end as if he couldn't believe what I was actually asking for....but he did understand. Yes, they could do it but it was going to be $20 / lb. Due to the roast not being trimmed in any way, basically right off the cow, that is going to put in in the 25# range +/-. YIKES!! That's going to be a $500 piece of meat. We tend to be generous to a fault with our friends but that's an awfully big pill to swallow. Now to Plan B. Went to a higher end grocery store where I know the butcher. They had the roast but not in a 103 cut, but you'll never get that anywhere except from the actual producer. If you have a top notch butcher shop, you may find a 107 cut but even that is hard to find. Mostly what you'll get is a 109A or 109E just about anywhere you buy it, which is what I wound up with unfortunately. I did score one heck of a great deal though so I'm happy. Here is what I got:
21.55# rib roast. Look at the price....list and actual with the club card
And in my best late-night pitchman's voice: BUT WAIT!! If you buy the whole thing, right now, you can save even more!!
It may be hard to see but at the end of the day, I got a $280 roast for $141. I'm happy with that. You have to ask because nobody is going to voluntarily give away money but if you buy the whole roast, they will drop the price. There is no loss of product for having to trim them for packaging and no time / labor to cut and package, hence they can sell for less.
Here are a couple pics of the meat itself out of the packaging
That's a pretty hefty chunk of cow. Now into the aging fridge
I spent the weekend getting all of the stuff out and cleaning the fridge then getting the temp dialed in. The fan on the bottom is from a humidifier that was in a big cigar humidor for a long time but is no longer being used. I didn't need the water tank or reservoir, just the fan. Since it pulls air from the bottom I had to set it on a wire rack so it could get circulation. The thermometer is one that I've had for a long time also but is still spot-on accurate. It is secured into the notch for a shelf with a clip from one of my Maverick 732's pit temp probe. Sometimes I feel like McGuyver with some of the stuff I come up with....but it works so I guess that's all that matters.
This one will probably be updated in three threads as things progress. If anybody is going to be in Central Texas in late February, drop by. I'll probably be cooking these babies. I'm going to slice these into steaks, cook them Sous Vide, and flash blast them on the grill at 1100* for color and sear.
Fingers X'ed in Lago,
Robert
We have a place about an hour and a half northeast of us that pasture raises all of their own beef, butchers it, and sells to whomever is willing to pay the price for it. They have an excellent reputation for providing outstanding quality meat so I thought I'd give them a call. I asked if I could get a 103 cut rib roast consisting of ribs 6 through 12. There was a pause on his end as if he couldn't believe what I was actually asking for....but he did understand. Yes, they could do it but it was going to be $20 / lb. Due to the roast not being trimmed in any way, basically right off the cow, that is going to put in in the 25# range +/-. YIKES!! That's going to be a $500 piece of meat. We tend to be generous to a fault with our friends but that's an awfully big pill to swallow. Now to Plan B. Went to a higher end grocery store where I know the butcher. They had the roast but not in a 103 cut, but you'll never get that anywhere except from the actual producer. If you have a top notch butcher shop, you may find a 107 cut but even that is hard to find. Mostly what you'll get is a 109A or 109E just about anywhere you buy it, which is what I wound up with unfortunately. I did score one heck of a great deal though so I'm happy. Here is what I got:
21.55# rib roast. Look at the price....list and actual with the club card
And in my best late-night pitchman's voice: BUT WAIT!! If you buy the whole thing, right now, you can save even more!!
It may be hard to see but at the end of the day, I got a $280 roast for $141. I'm happy with that. You have to ask because nobody is going to voluntarily give away money but if you buy the whole roast, they will drop the price. There is no loss of product for having to trim them for packaging and no time / labor to cut and package, hence they can sell for less.
Here are a couple pics of the meat itself out of the packaging
That's a pretty hefty chunk of cow. Now into the aging fridge
I spent the weekend getting all of the stuff out and cleaning the fridge then getting the temp dialed in. The fan on the bottom is from a humidifier that was in a big cigar humidor for a long time but is no longer being used. I didn't need the water tank or reservoir, just the fan. Since it pulls air from the bottom I had to set it on a wire rack so it could get circulation. The thermometer is one that I've had for a long time also but is still spot-on accurate. It is secured into the notch for a shelf with a clip from one of my Maverick 732's pit temp probe. Sometimes I feel like McGuyver with some of the stuff I come up with....but it works so I guess that's all that matters.
This one will probably be updated in three threads as things progress. If anybody is going to be in Central Texas in late February, drop by. I'll probably be cooking these babies. I'm going to slice these into steaks, cook them Sous Vide, and flash blast them on the grill at 1100* for color and sear.
Fingers X'ed in Lago,
Robert
