Welcome to Meathead Talks, a series of curated articles from AmazingRibs on everything from kitchen science to myth busting to tips for upping your grill game. All articles are written by the Meathead, a brilliant chef and self-proclaimed Barbecue Whisperer whose culinary word are heeded as gospel in many circles.
At last! You’ve waited for four (or more) weeks and now your dry aging project is ready to meet its destiny. Whether you grill, broil, or sous vide and reverse sear your dry aged meat, you’ve crafted the very best steak with UMAI Dry Aging Bags and now’s NOT the time for guessing. Now’s the time to learn from the experience (and mistakes) of other dry aging pros to better guarantee the perfect preparation of your steak. You don’t want your dry aged steak overdone which will ruin texture and taste. You don’t want your dry aged steak underdone, which can lead to other problems (some way beyond bad taste and texture). You want perfection, and you’ll be happy to read that it is attainable!
When it comes to cooking steak, Meathead knows what he’s talking about. So when he talks, people listen. If you have questions like the following about temperatures when cooking meat, you’re going to want to read his full article:
- Why does temperature matter?
- What are optimal temperatures for various types and cuts of meat?
- How do you determine target temperature, then achieve it accurately?
If you’re smart, you’ll at least use a thermometer to achieve steak perfection. You owe it to the long-endured fruits of your dry aging labors and the money spent on your meat and UMAi Dry Aging Bags (not to mention weeks of listening to your spouse gripe about the space your dry aging project is taking up in the fridge!)
AND for all you kitchen nerds and one-uppers out there, Meathead’s article is full of fun trivia you can grill (op! see what we did there?) your friends on:
- Why the internal temperature of meat determines its texture and flavor.
- When USDA recommended meat temps are right-on, and when there is wiggle room for the chef to decide.
- How pasteurization, in partnership with temperature, enhances meat and poultry safety.
- What sous-vide does, and why every dry aged meat lover should learn this this basic cooking technique.
- Why a precision thermometer is critical to safe, accurate meat preparation.
- What carryover heat is, and how it can affect your meat preparation.
The bottom line is temperature matters. A lot. Read Meathead’s full article now!
Article originally posted on Meathead's Amazing Ribs, last updated 7/7/2022
Meathead - Founder and publisher of AmazingRibs.com, Meathead is known as the site's Hedonism Evangelist and BBQ Whisperer. He is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", named one of the "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living.