Welcome meat lovers! Today we are combining age-old traditions with the boldness of whiskey. That’s right, we are creating whiskey aged steaks!
First up – if you’re new to the world of aged beef, just know that it is an experience worth trying! We cover what aged beef is in this post.
Here at our butcher shop, we have been aging beef ourselves for the last 7+ years. And there comes a time when you want to start experimenting with flavour profiles – or maybe we just wanted an afternoon drink 😉 LOL.
With Father’s Day approaching, we decided we wanted to do something extra special. I can’t think of any Dad that would resist a whisky aged steak.
We’ll walk you through the whole process in case you want to try this with your aging system at home.
What is Whisky Aged Steak?
Whiskey aged steak is just as it sounds! You take a whole, juicy ribeye or striploin, and wrap it in cheesecloth to cover all surfaces.
Then you give it a full-on whisky bath. It’s as simple as pouring that sweet, golden whisky all over that piece of meat! Then, you let that piece of meat chill in an aging fridge for at least 45 days, soaking up all that whisky goodness.
You’ll repeat the whiskey bath a few more times within the 45 days. Once it has aged, the cheesecloth is removed and the meat is trimmed and cut into steaks.
The result? A steak that's like a flavor symphony in your mouth. Think hints of blue cheese, a kick of whisky, and a whole lot of umami magic.
How to Make Whiskey Aged Steak?
To create the ultimate whisky-aged beef experience, we've carefully chosen boneless ribeye and striploin cuts. By utilizing boneless pieces, we maximize the contact between the meat and the whisky.
The meat is placed on a shallow tray or baking sheet and wrapped completely in cheesecloth. We used 2 packages of cheesecloth to cover both subprimals (ribeye and striploin) – so 1 package of cheesecloth per piece.
The meat was then showered with whiskey on all sides. Once the whiskey soaked all of the cheesecloth, we placed the meat into the aging room. It is stored on racks so that the air can circulate all sides of the meat.
If needed, a tray can be placed below the meat to catch any drips.
Every week or so the meat was again placed on a tray and showered with whiskey. It was then returned to the rack to continue aging.
This took about 750 ml of whiskey per piece for a total of 1.5 litres for both the ribeye and striploin.
Which Whiskey Should You Use?
In the realm of whisky-aged beef, the choice of whisky is as personal as a fingerprint. You can explore a range of whiskey’s from local distrillers to bigger brands. We suggest a mid-level whisky that resonates with your palate and has flavours that harmonize with the meat's character.
How Long Should I Age Whiskey Aged Steak?
For whisky-aged beef, we recommend a minimum aging period of 45 days, allowing the flavours to meld and the meat to achieve optimal tenderness and richness. Adventurers seeking bolder flavours can embark on a 100-day (or longer) aging journey!
Once the aging process is complete, we will remove the cheesecloth and trim it. We will then cut steaks from these at about 1.5 – 2 inches thick (or whatever is requested!).
That's all there is to it! We can't wait to unwrap our whiskey aged beef and give it a try!
