Hit me with your best steak

For some, it’s an easy answer. You can still taste the sweet juiciness that changed your palate forever. For others, it’s complicated — perhaps influenced by factors like atmosphere, service or who joined you at the table.

If you’re a beef junkie like me, it’s not as easy as it sounds. I’m a firm believer in red meat and it’s not difficult to find the good in every bite. Tack on a Certified Angus Beef ^® brand label, and it’s nearly impossible to settle the score.

“No comment.”

That’s my answer to the ever-looming question. It’s too hard to choose and therefore I shall remain neutral. But nobody said a girl can’t talk about something new; therefore, I have two words for you (well, really one hyphenated word):

Dry-Aged

Have you tried it? If you haven’t, let me suggest you put it on the same mental to-do list that includes “buy groceries” and “pay the electricity bill.” It’s just that important.

I shared with you a little bit about my summer travels to North Dakota, both in pictures and in writing. Those were planned and part of my job description. What’s not are the delicious steaks that sometimes accompany those trips and spoil my taste buds in the process.

Enter 40 Steak & Seafood. This CAB licensed restaurant sits in the heart of North Dakota, in Bismarck, and offers patrons a pleasant pairing of old-time atmosphere and modern culinary concepts. Not to mention it has a dry-age cooler that will make any chef melt.

To give you a quick lesson in dry-age, the beef is just that: dry-aged instead of the more common wet-aged product you’re likely used to eating and seeing in the grocery store. Both are healthy. Both safe. Both delicious. The goal of a dry-age cooler is to evaporate moisture, leaving the cuts with a unique, natural, dare I say mouth-watering taste. (To learn more about the science behind dry-aging, our cooler at the ECC and what Dr. Phil has to say, check out this post.)

I’m from the South, ya’ll. We eat well here but we don’t eat fancy. I remember the first time I learned about a palate cleanser. Needless to say, this was a new experience. But with images to capture and people to interview, my mission took a delectable turn when I walked into the cooler.

See the dates below the product? Those specify when each cut began the aging process. Those dining in at 40 Steak & Seafood that day had the option of selecting a CAB Prime 30-,60- or 90-day dry-aged steak but owner Dale Zimmerman says he’d soon like to have a 120-day option on the menu.

Embracing a technique that has a growing interest, Executive Chef Alan invites those that order one to come back and tour the cooler for themselves.

He’ll even prep it in front of you while he talks about the science behind the process. Do you see that marbling? Thank you, Angus ranchers.

I’ve been told it’s best to ease into the taste — try the 30-day before sampling the further-aged product — but notice something missing from the top right of the next photo. Typically reserved for the oldest cut in the house (it was 90 days at the time), the spot was suddenly vacant.

The reason being it was on the cutting board behind me and I soon found myself replacing my lens with a knife.

Zimmerman had issued a challenge and I’m not one to shy away: see if I can taste the difference between the 30 and 90-day product. Seeing as how I had never tasted any dry-age steak before, seems I had an unbiased, yet adventurous palate.

After trimming it was time to hit the grill.

Can you tell the difference? Local Angus rancher Chad Ellingson was there to learn some culinary ropes and jumped in on the fun.

From the outside a dry-aged steak doesn’t look much different than it’s wet-aged counterpart (notice the seltzer water for a palate cleanser). A change of scenery from the cow pastures, I reminded myself not to get too comfortable. 

I’ve had a lot of steaks in my life and I must say this was definitely something to write home about.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

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