Just learned from a 1920s meatpacking guide that they used to age whole sides of beef for up to 8 weeks in unrefrigerated rail cars, which sounds wild until you realize the constant movement and airflow basically made them giant dry-aging lockers.

Has anyone here ever tried a crazy-long aging process like that, or is it just an old-timer's tall tale?

3 comments

3 Comments

Totally get the paranoia, I did a 45-day ribeye in a mini fridge once and it felt like a science experiment gone wrong. The smell alone would clear a room, like blue cheese and wet leather had a baby. You're right though, that rail car method is next level trust in the process. Makes you realize modern food safety rules have completely rewired our brains. That old school dry age must have tasted like pure meat candy, but yeah, no way I'd try it without a full lab report first.

noah9171mo ago

Honestly, that makes my attempt at dry-aging a steak in my fridge for two weeks seem pretty tame. I was so paranoid about it going bad I checked on it like five times a day. The idea of just letting a whole side of beef bounce around for two months takes some serious guts, or maybe just a complete lack of smell in those rail cars. I bet the flavor was intense, but I'd be too scared to try it without a time machine and a strong stomach.

juliaa2510h ago

Complete lack of smell in those rail cars" haha yeah that's a real possibility. But honestly I feel you on the paranoia, I did a 3 day dry age in my fridge once and still felt like I was gonna die every time I opened the door. You got way more guts than me even trying two weeks, that's impressive.