Old timer at the shop told me to let beef hang longer, I was skeptical

There's this guy named Joe who's been cutting meat for 40 years at the shop down the street from me in Cleveland. I always thought I knew better with my modern methods. He told me last month that I was rushing my ribeyes, that I needed to let the whole primal hang for at least 28 days instead of my usual 21. I figured he was just stuck in his old ways. But after I tried it on a single order for a customer, the marbling broke down way nicer and the flavor was noticeably deeper. The customer even came back asking where I got that specific batch from. I guess I owe Joe an apology. Has anyone else here had an older butcher school them on something they thought they had figured out?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_thomas418d ago

Admit I had a similar experience with a guy named Frank down at the meat market. He told me to stop trimming so much fat off my briskets before smoking them, said I was throwing away all the flavor. I argued with him for ten minutes about how I like a leaner bite. First time I left more fat on, the bark set up way better and the meat didn't dry out. Sometimes you just gotta shut up and listen to the guys who've been doing it since before you were born.

lily_gibson1318d ago

Heard Steven Raichlen say the same thing in his barbecue book, that fat is flavor and not something to be scared of. @kai_knight1's quarter inch rule sounds perfect, gonna try that next time for sure.

kai_knight118d ago

Little nitpick - you still want to trim some fat, just not all of it. About a quarter inch left on is the sweet spot, too much and you get that greasy unrendered mess.