"Ugly Duckling" Dry Aged - Salt Crusted - Prime Rib Roast - Q/View

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mr t 59874

Master of the Pit
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Jun 9, 2011
2,630
266
Trout Creek, Montana
 Why go to so much trouble for prime rib steaks?  Wanting to duplicate steaks that demanded high prices and were the ultimate in luxury and taste, like those served in the highest priced steakhouses for the privileged few.  Research showed these are steaks that are dry aged (minimum 30 day's), like sold at Strassburgers in N.Y. City, not wet aged, which does little to improve the meat. 

 Unlike the prime rib steaks served in affordable steakhouses, I chose to dry age a choice boneless rib roast for 45 days, then take it a step further and cook it in a way that would produce a steak that had incredible beef flavor.  Although they can be good, I did not want one that was heavily smoked, seasoned, then drowned in a seasoned au jus, disguising the true beef flavor, this would involve salt crusting.

 Cooking the roast in a salt crust insulates the roast, producing one that is cooked gently and evenly with no overcooked meat around the edges, rare from center to the edges with plentiful juices, making au jus totally unnecessary. 

Tom

Dry Aged - Salt Crusted – Boneless Rib Eye Roast

Roast bottom right.  Weight 4 lb. 11 oz

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                                          “The Ugly Duckling”

Roast after 45 days of aging.  22% weight loss.

 

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 Beginning to trim the dried surfaces.

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Roast after trimming, 2lb. 6oz.  41% loss in weight.

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 Bed of salt in roasting pan consisting of rock salt and Kosher salt.

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Applying salt mixture.  4 cups Kosher salt, ½ cup flour, egg white from one egg and enough water to form a paste.

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Further application of the salt mixture.  Advise wearing latex gloves when applying salt.

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Roast now ready for the preheated 200° oven.  Internal meat temperature 43°.

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Roast out of oven at 110° internal temperature.

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Salt crust removed and allowed to rest 20 minutes.  Internal temp 120°.

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                                                  “The Swan” 

Three rare steaks approximately 13 oz. each.  120°.

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  After a light smoke and sear on the grill, this 135° medium rare steak along with grilled asparagus and a crispy skin baked potato is ready for the table.

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Related thread: Mr T's - Fresh - Salt Crusted - Prime Rib Roast - Q/View
 
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That looks amazing!
It most certainly does. Those steaks are a work of art. Beautiful. Those last 2 pics could be used on the web site of a high end steakhouse.

The texture looks perfect. I can only imagine that the taste was out of this world, and I assume you'll probably be repeating this process in the very near future.

In the first pic it looks like you've got a ham and a couple bellies curing as well as several jars of pickled items on the far left of your cooler. Nice operation.

Excellent job Mr. T. Congrats.
 
Thanks to both of you.

This is the way all of my "Dry Aged Beef" is cooked. .  When working  at a nearby B&B which served supper, this was my signature dish.  I would do one or two once a week depending on the number of reservations.

Yes, there was a smoked pork belly hanging in the cooler along with a Country Cured Ham and a wide variety of kraut, Kimchi and other preserved and pickled delicacies.
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T
 
Fine looking steaks and meal. What was your cost per meal versus what a fancy restaurant would charge for the same? (assuming they could cook that well) 

I believe that home is the finest restaurant anyone could eat at and the recliner and TV are close by afterwords.
 
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Thanks to both of you.

This is the way all of my "Dry Aged Beef" is cooked. .  When working  at a nearby B&B which served supper, this was my signature dish.  I would do one or two once a week depending on the number of reservations.

Yes, there was a smoked pork belly hanging in the cooler along with a Country Cured Ham and a wide variety of kraut, Kimchi and other preserved and pickled delicacies.
drool.gif


T
I'd like to make reservations for two. Got the map out , found Montana, now looking for Trout Creek. Isn't any snow  there I hope, We're from San Francisco.   
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This is the way all of my "Dry Aged Beef" is cooked. . 
By this statement, do you always use the salt crust. I've been dry aging a boneless  NY strip roast which is now at around the 30 day mark, and about to be prepared. My method of cooking it is essentially the same as yours minus the salt crust. I've used a salt crust on fish (whole red snapper) but never on beef. Do you think the salt crust really adds that much to the roast to warrant me trying?

Thanks.
 
By this statement, do you always use the salt crust.  Do you think the salt crust really adds that much to the roast to warrant me trying?

Thanks.
Yes I do salt crust all my dry aged beef. 

If you are a “Bark Fanatic” salt crusting is not a method I would encourage.  Bark is good on pork butts and burnt ends, but after taking the time to age a quality piece of meat, I want as much of the favorable meat as possible.

In my opinion your roast is a wonderful candidate for the salt crust. 

T
 
Truly inspiring Mr. T....looks absolutely delicious. Such a long process....must be gratifying to watch the progress. Kimchee....love it & must make some soon. I refuse to pay the outrageous price asked in the markets. Thx for posting....
 
Yes I do salt crust all my dry aged beef. 

If you are a “Bark Fanatic” salt crusting is not a method I would encourage.  Bark is good on pork butts and burnt ends, but after taking the time to age a quality piece of meat, I want as much of the favorable meat as possible.

In my opinion your roast is a wonderful candidate for the salt crust. 

T
Thanks. I thought that would be your response but thought I would ask anyway. I agree with you on the bark issue. It has its place but this isn't it.

I need to put more rock and Kosher salt on my shopping list.
 
Thanks to both of you.

This is the way all of my "Dry Aged Beef" is cooked. .  When working  at a nearby B&B which served supper, this was my signature dish.  I would do one or two once a week depending on the number of reservations.

Yes, there was a smoked pork belly hanging in the cooler along with a Country Cured Ham and a wide variety of kraut, Kimchi and other preserved and pickled delicacies.
drool.gif


T
I'd like to know more about the other stuff in your cooler. I'd also be interested in more information on overall process you use, temps, humidity, etc.
 
 The following is a picture of my cooler.  Average temperature 37 deg  average humidity 74%.

Left side is a collection of pickled and fermented delicacies.  Including 8 gallons of kraut, pickled chicken and duck eggs, several gallons of Kimchi, pickles, and other things.  Top right is over 70 pounds of aging cheeses, averaging 3 years old waiting for the cold smoker. The oldest is a 14 year old Limburger.  Bottom right is smoked pork belly, turkey, pork butt and a second fresh pork belly and a crock of kraut.  I  now have a country ham curing in it also.

More questions, please ask.

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 The following is a picture of my cooler.  Average temperature 37 deg  average humidity 74%.

Left side is a collection of pickled and fermented delicacies.  Including 8 gallons of kraut, pickled chicken and duck eggs, several gallons of Kimchi, pickles, and other things.  Top right is over 70 pounds of aging cheeses, averaging 3 years old waiting for the cold smoker. The oldest is a 14 year old Limburger.  Bottom right is smoked pork belly, turkey, pork butt and a second fresh pork belly and a crock of kraut.  I  now have a country ham curing in it also.

More questions, please ask.

1249af95_100_1723.jpg
Wow! I wish that was in my house, or you were my neighbor! What's fermenting in the crock lurking behind the meat?
 
Wow....totally impressed with not only the amount of of the stash but the variety. Speaking only for myself here but I would think many of us would love to be able to do this. What's your source of information? books, OJT somewhere, internet searches?  I just now started to make sausage....your operation is light years ahead of that...lol. Thx for sharing and inspiring....Willie
 
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