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Just changed my mind about dry aging after a trip to that new place in Portland | Butchers - Topic Shares

Just changed my mind about dry aging after a trip to that new place in Portland

I visited that new butcher shop in Portland called The Salt Block last week, and I have to admit, I was wrong about dry aging. I always thought it was just a fancy way to charge more for older meat, you know? But they had this whole glass fronted aging room you could see from the counter. The guy behind it, his name was Leo, let me smell a 45 day ribeye they were about to cut. He said 'smell that, it's not bad, it's concentrated.' And he was right. It wasn't spoiled, it was like beef times ten. I tried a piece they were sampling and the flavor was crazy deep, way more than just a good steak. I guess I never really got it until I saw the whole process up close and tasted the real deal. Has anyone else had their mind changed by seeing how another shop does something?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_hernandez124mo ago

The_val totally nailed it with that "trick to charge more money" line cause that was me for years. I just assumed people were getting ripped off or it was some hipster food thing that didn't actually taste different. But seeing that glass room and watching Leo work, it clicked for me too. The smell alone convinced me there was actual work and science going on, not just letting meat sit around. Now I'm the guy telling my friends they gotta try it at least once.

jessicab335mo ago

I was the same way, always figured it was just marketing. Then my brother-in-law, who's a chef, showed me his setup. He cut a piece off a 60-day strip loin and let me try it raw. The taste was like mushrooms and butter, nothing like old meat. Totally changed how I see it now.

the_val5mo ago

That's exactly how it happened for me too. I always thought dry aged beef was just a trick to charge more money. A friend who runs a small butcher shop let me try a sample from their aging fridge. The flavor was so deep and rich, completely different from fresh steak. It made me realize the process really does change the meat in a good way. Now I get why people are willing to pay a bit extra for it.