Maple Bourbon Aged Steaks
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There is no question that a great grilled steak begins with quality meat, like these Maple Bourbon Aged Steaks. When you can afford something a little better than normal, treat yourself! If you’re out on the town, you may come across dry-aged steak on the menu, and you’re in for a treat. Dry-aging tenderizes and infuses a buttery taste.
Why Dry Age?
While it may seem as if dry-aging is something newfangled, people have used this method for centuries. When you keep meat in a cold environment with good ventilation for over 2 weeks, the steak transforms. The enzymes break down proteins, relaxing the meat while boosting flavor.
While this recipe calls for Bourbon, you can use other flavorings, including peanut butter (yes, really!). By the way, you can dry age meat without a special machine, but the equipment makes your job much easier and improves safe food handling.
What is Reverse Searing?
I recommend reverse searing for this recipe. If you haven’t heard of it before, reverse searing means you put the meat in the oven first, then sear it off at the end. When you reverse sear a steak, it creates a dryer surface, so when you transfer the steak to the grill, you get those perfect marks. Because it’s a slower way to cook your meat, you can really watch internal temperatures, too.
Ingredients & tools
- USDA Ribeye steak rack (1 steak per person)
- Real maple syrup *
- Bourbon (your favorite)
- Cuso’s Dirt BBQ Rub
- Cheesecloth
- Large tray
- Aging machine
- Truffle sauce
Instructions for Aging
- Place your steaks on a tray with a raised edge.
- Rub maple syrup all over it.
- Wrap in 3 layers of cheesecloth.
- Soak the cloth with ⅓ bottle of bourbon.
- Add another ⅓ bottle after 10 days of aging and the last 10 days after that.
- Make sure the temperature inside your system is a consistent 35 degrees F.
Instructions for Grilling
- Remove the cheesecloth from the meat
- Cut the steak into individual portions using a Chef’s Knife or cleaver.
- Dust the steaks with the Dirt Rub.
- Drizzle just a hint of truffle sauce on the meat (remember this is strong stuff. You don’t want to overwhelm the beefy flavor).
- Reverse-sear the steaks, looking for a finished internal temperature of 120 degrees F (medium rare).
PitMaster’s Memo
While you can’t see it on the inside of the cheesecloth, during the aging process, the exterior of the meat becomes dark red to black, depending on how long you leave it. You may even see a light mold when you open it up. This is nothing to worry about. You just have to remove the dried parts before grilling.
While you may feel iffy about investing in a meat ager, there are many reasons to do so. They have a far lower risk for germs and contamination than your refrigerator. Additionally, an ager provides consistency in temperature. Unless you have a dedicated refrigerator, you won’t get that in your kitchen. Opening and closing the door changes how cold the interior remains.
Sides
Crispy Balsamic Brussels
Sweet potato wedges
Chickpea salad
Garlic dinner rolls
Asparagus
Sauteed mushrooms
From the Bar
Manhattan
Brown Ale
Belgian Ale
Whisky sour
Sparkling Wine
Cranberry juice
