How to Cook a Dry-Aged Steak

Chef Ali here. Now that Eric's got the dry-aging cooler running, folks keep asking me the same thing: I finally got my hands on a dry-aged steak, so how do I cook it without messing it up? Good news - dry-aged beef is one of the easiest things to cook well. The aging already did the hard work. Your job is mostly to stay out of its way.

Don't freeze it

This is the big one. Dry aging works by pulling moisture out of the beef over weeks so the flavor concentrates and the texture turns buttery. Toss it in the freezer and you undo a good chunk of that - ice crystals push moisture back into the meat and rough up that tender texture you paid for. Keep your dry-aged cuts in the coldest part of the fridge and cook them within three or four days of pickup. Buy it for a meal you've actually got planned, not to stash away.

Let it come to room temperature

Pull the steak out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before it hits the heat. A cold center cooks unevenly - you end up with a gray band around the edge before the middle is anywhere close. Letting it warm up on the counter gives you an even cook edge to edge.

Pat it dry and keep it simple

Blot the surface dry with a paper towel - a dry surface is what gives you a real crust. Then go easy on the seasoning. Dry-aged beef has a rich, nutty, almost cheesy flavor that you paid good money for, so don't bury it under a heavy marinade. Coarse salt and fresh-cracked pepper is all it needs. Salt it right before it goes in the pan, or salt it a few hours ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge if you want to lean into that dry-brine effect (more on the difference in dry brining vs. dry aging).

Cook it medium-high, not screaming hot

Here's where folks go wrong: crank the burner all the way up and super high heat will burn the steak instead of searing it. These days I go medium-high - a cast iron skillet or grill that's good and hot, but not smoking like crazy. Add a little high-smoke-point oil, lay the steak down, and let it build a deep brown crust on both sides. Then baste with butter, garlic, and a sprig of thyme for the last minute or two if you like. You're after a crust, not char.

It cooks faster than a fresh steak

Because so much water has left the meat, dry-aged beef cooks quicker than a regular steak the same size. Don't walk away from it, and don't cook it by the clock - use an instant-read thermometer. Pull it at 125 degrees for rare, 130 to 135 for medium-rare. I'd stop at medium-rare with dry-aged beef; cooking it past that throws away the flavor and tenderness the aging gave you.

Rest it, then slice

Let the steak rest 5 to 10 minutes before you cut in so the juices settle. Slice against the grain, add a little flaky salt if you want, and that's it. Simple cooking, big flavor - exactly what dry-aged beef is all about.