# Help With Dry Aging Rib Roast - smells like cheese



## indianajns (Dec 18, 2014)

I have a 24 lb 7 rib rib roast dry aging for Christmas. I wrapped it in cheese cloth after rinsing it and patting dry and placed it in the fridge. After 24 hours i pulled it out, discarded the cheese cloth and rewrapped it. When doing this the beef had a strong off putting smell that I would descrie as cheesy. The bad news here is that I measured the part of the fridge where this beef was being kept at 45 F. It sat at thistemp for 4 days before I realized it and it is now sitting at 35 where it has been for about a week now and the smell has mostly gone away. Am I screwed here and the meat has gone rotten due to its siting at 45 for 4 days or should I expect a cheesy smell from a dry aged piece of meat? thanks


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

You'll often have some "off" bits of meat from true dry aging that you'll trim off. Over-dessicated areas, mold isn't uncommon either.


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## indianajns (Dec 18, 2014)

Thanks for response. I will be trimming off the discolored pieces before cooking so I'm not too concerned with that. My main concern is the fact that the beef sat at 45F for 4 days and, wondering if there any way to know if it has spoiled and therefore make us all sick. Right now sitting at 35F it smells somewhat sour but not overpowering. Right now I am weighing the options of throwing out a very expensive piece of meat which is stressful to say the least.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Isn't it supposed to smell like blue cheese?

I distinctly remember an edition of Heston Blumenthal cooking his best steak ever, where he visited a place in NY where they aged their beef. His remark was the smell of blue cheese in the aging room.

I also seem to remember that he transferred the smell of a slice of blue cheese (Roquefort) between two slices of butter. The butter takes the cheese smell and taste and was used to cook the steak...


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## indianajns (Dec 18, 2014)

Yes, I have read in a number of places that it can have a blue cheese type smell and sometimes a slight metallic odor when dry aging. I'm thinking about slicing off one of the ribs of the 7, cooking it up and eating it myself this weekend. If it smells and tastes good after cooking, and doesn't make me sick then I am good to go for Christmas. If it has turned better that I get sick than the whole family


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

It should not smell that much after just 24 hours!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

chefedb said:


> It should not smell that much after just 24 hours!


Yeah, something is wrong if it smells after 1 day.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Trying to dry age a piece of meat at home without the proper temperature/moisture conditions is a recipe for disaster.

Your nose knows.

Smell is a great way of telling if something is not right, however; contaminated food doesn't always smell.

45 degrees is in the danger zone and bacteria has grown on that meat for 4 days. And not the good bacteria......

Do you really want to continue this knowing that?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I agree!  The human nose has evolved to detect spoiled food.  We're really good at it.  I missed the part that you were storing at 45 degrees...  Throw it out.  Sorry.


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## indianajns (Dec 18, 2014)

Yes, thanks for the feedback. I woke up in the middle of the night stressing about it so went to the fridge, pulled it out, and tossed it at 2 AM. A very expensive lesson that I will never forget.


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