Dry aged steak is one of our favorite. But they are hard to find on the market.
When beef has been aged in a carefully temperature and humidity controlled room for a certain amount of time ranging from weeks even to months, beef will be broken down by enzymes to produce amino acids, fatty acids and sugar. That is to say, the beef will transform into good eats with better taste, tendered texture and intensified flavors.
It is a very expensive and time consuming process. Besides, the beef needs to be trimmed before selling or cooking. All costs add up quickly. No wonder dry aged steaks on steakhouse menu are always so pricey.
Imagine how exciting I was when I found out Central Market in Houston sells dry age beef! O(∩_∩)O~
There are two types of dry aged steak available in Central market. One is ribeye, and the other one is New York strip steak.
Marbling is gorgeous
Price is more expensive than regular steak. But it is quite reasonable when compared to what you paid for aged beef served in a steakhouse.
I bought one piece of each so that it would be convenient to compare them side by side.
Leave the steak out on the countertop for about 20 minutes to warm up to room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to 450F/232C with 2 sizzling plates in it.
The one on the bottom is ribeye. The other one on top is New York strip steak.
Sprinkle with generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
Add sea salt to taste. Lightly press down the salt and pepper.
Add to the grill. Grill for 2 minutes.
2 minutes later, flip the steaks over and grill for another 2 minutes.
Remember, we are making sizzling steaks here. The extremely hot sizzling plates will continue to cook the steak later. So you don’t want your steaks in the grill for too long.
All sizzling plates are different. Some are cast iron; some are aluminum; some are thick; and some are thin. All of that needs to be considered when we decide how much time for steak to cook in the grill. I am using two thick cast iron sizzling plates. And I know from prior cooking experience that 2 minutes each side is perfect for my medium rare steaks.
Transfer the steaks to sizzling plates.
And now get the plates and steaks out of the grill and serve. That beautiful sizzling sound is like wonderful music to a foodie like me O(∩_∩)O~
Do use extra caution because the plate is really really really hot!
This one is ribeye.
It is very tender, juicy, and buttery with an intense beefy and meaty flavor.
This one is New York strip steak.
The texture is a bit tighter than ribeye, with a nuttier and more intense beefy flavor.
The one on the left is New York strip steak, and the one on the right is ribeye steak.
The reason I love sizzling steak is that even when it comes to the last bite, it is still perfectly pink, tender and juicy on the inside. And there would not be any unpleasant red color juicy running in the plate at all.
Give it a try and you will love it too! O(∩_∩)O~
