Heard a guy at the farmers market say wet aging is a scam - got me thinking

I overheard this home butcher at the Saturday market in Portland telling his buddy that wet aging in a cryovac is basically just letting meat rot in its own juices. He said dry aging is the only real way to get flavor. But I've been doing wet aging for years (mostly for my beef cuts) and my customers never complain. Is there actually a big difference in taste or is this just another one of those old school vs new school debates? How many of you bother with wet vs dry aging in your shop?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_murray84d ago

Are all those steakhouses using wet aging just scamming us then?

carr.luna4d ago

Think about it like buying fresh vs frozen chicken at the grocery store. Wet aging is basically just letting the meat sit in its own juices in a vacuum bag, which does make it more tender but you lose a lot of that beefy flavor. I used to be all about those fancy dry aged steaks at home until I realized my local butcher's wet aged prime ribeyes were just as good for half the price when cooked right. A lot of those chain steakhouses use wet aging because it's cheaper and faster, so yeah you're kinda getting scammed on the "premium" price tag they slap on it lol. Just find a good butcher who knows their stuff and you'll be way happier.

shanes664d ago

Whoa hold up, wet aging actually keeps MORE beefy flavor since it doesn't lose moisture like dry aging does.