Have you ever sunk your teeth into a perfectly cooked dry-aged steak? I smoked some dry-aged ribeye for the first time recently, and it was one of the best steaks I've ever tasted. They were easy to cook, and I'll definitely be trying them again. If you have ever wondered how to cook dry-aged steak, keep reading!
Table of Contents
How to Cook Dry Aged Steak
Before I get into how to cook dry aged steak, let's talk about the process of dry aging, and why it makes a steak tastes so much better. I found quite a few different explanations of what dry aging is, but this paragraph from the Beef Aging entry on Wikipedia explains it best:
Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, it is hung as a full or half carcass. Primal (large distinct sections) or sub-primal cuts, such as strip loins, rib eyes, and sirloin, are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a "hot box". This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specially climate-controlled coolers or within a moisture-permeable drybag. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops...
"Beef aging" - Wikipedia
During the aging process, moisture evaporates from the muscle, creating a bolder beef flavor. Additionally, the beef's natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef.
Seasoning Dry Aged Beef
As you can imagine, dry aged beef already has some fantastic flavor, and you want to season the steaks in a way that will only compliment that bold beef taste. Combine a half tablespoon of kosher salt, a half tablespoon of pepper, and a ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Sprinkle each side of the steak with a layer of the seasoning, and then use your hands to rub it in. Wait a minute to let the steak absorb the seasoning, and dust both sides of the steak again.
Cooking Dry Aged Beef
Some people swear by cooking steaks hot and fast, but I love the reverse sear method. The reverse sear helps break down the muscle and fat even more, and the end result is one of the most tender and juicy steaks you'll ever taste.
After seasoning the steaks, place them directly on the grill rack of your smoker that's been preheated to 225 degrees. I cooked these dry aged steaks with a few lobster tails and some veggie kabobs. Everything went on the smoker at the same time.
Use your meat thermometer to spot check the steaks after about 40 minutes on the smoker. They should be close to 110 degrees. When they hit 110, pull them off the smoker, and crank the heat up to high.
I left the veggie kabobs in the smoker while I turned up the heat, but pulled the lobster tails. They were close to the same temp as the steaks.
When the smoker hits 450 degrees place the dry aged steaks and lobster back in the smoker. The steak is done at 125-130 degrees, and the lobster is done at 165. degrees.
This was one of the best dinners we've ever had. The steak was full of beefy, smoky flavor, and super tender. The lobster was just right, and those veggie kabobs rounded out the meal perfectly.
Smoked Dry Aged Ribeye
Ingredients
- 16 oz ribeye dry aged (I used two 8 ounce ribeyes for this)
- ½ tbsp black pepper fresh ground
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Oak Wood for smoker
Instructions
- Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl and then sprinkle onto the surface of the ribeyes. Use your hands to rub the seasoning into the meat. Let it rest for a minute, and then apply another light layer of rub.
- Setup your smoker to smoke at 225 degrees using indirect heat.
- Place the steaks directly on the grill grate, and let them smoke until the internal temp hits 110 degrees. Approximately 40 minutes.
- Remove the steaks from the smoker and adjust the temperature to cook as hot as possible. My smoker gets up to about 460 degrees.
- Return the dry aged steaks to the smoker and let them cook until the internal temp hits 125-130 degrees. I flip the steaks after about two minutes at high heat, and then let them finish, but you don't have to flip.
- Let the steaks rest for five minutes before slicing. Guaranteed to be the best steak you've ever tasted.
We cooked a dry aged 2 pound bone in rib eye this evening and we followed the reverse sear cooking approach that you have shared here. A large quantity of these rib eyes had been dry aged at a local restaurant for nearly 3 months and we were fortunate enough to purchase several of them. The restaurant is PS Steak which is one of the top Minneapolis steak houses. PS Steak serves Prime Angus beef that they purchase from a supplier in Black Mountain, IL
This recipe was very easy to follow. The only thing I did differently is I put our cast iron skillet in our smoker while the smoker was heating up to 450 degrees and then I added an ounce of butter right before I put the rib eye back in the smoker just like you recommend in your smoked pork chop recipe.
it took just under an hour for the rib eye to reach a 110 degrees internal temperature with the smoker set at 225 degrees. Then it took 2 1/2 minutes per side in the cast iron skillet and after the rib eye rested for another 10 minutes, the rib eye's internal temperature was right at 135 degrees.
It was an incredible meal. next time, we will try adding a lobster tail and smoked vegetables too.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us !!!
All the Best,
Joe
Wow! 450 on a smoker... my Traeger barely gets to 400 when I try and crank it up on high.