The Overrated Steak You Don't Want To Order At A Steakhouse

When you're heading out to eat at a fancy steakhouse, it's assumed that you're going to spend some money. Between the wine, appetizers, and a la carte sides, the tab can add up before even cutting into a steak. But not everything on a steakhouse menu is worth the splurge.

We love a good steak night out at Daily Meal, but staying on budget is important, so we asked Carversteak 's corporate executive chef Daniel Ontiveros which kinds he thinks are the most over-hyped at any steakhouse. In his opinion, there's a limit to how much dry aging makes sense. "Anything that is dry aged over 28 days max is overrated," says Ontiveros.



"After 28 days, you don't really taste the flavor of the meat but rather too much funk." So if you see steaks on a menu that are aged 40, 50, and even 100 days, don't waste your money, especially if you don't have a lot of experience eating dry aged beef. Dry aged meat tastes nutty and earthy like a strong blue cheese or mushrooms, and that's not everyone's cup of tea.

Why are dry aged steaks more expensive? Although Chef Daniel Ontiveros says that some dry aged steaks are overrated, there is a reason why beef that's been aged for long periods of time is more expensive. Dry aging does, in fact, make meat taste better , but the longer the meat is aged, the more volume it loses. Think of it like aging a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano or a barrel of whiskey.

Over time, the steak loses moisture and shrinks, and longer aging times can also cause mold to form on the outside of the meat, which has to be trimmed away resulting in more loss. So by the time a 100-day aged steak gets to your plate, it can be up to 30% smaller than it was when it was fresh. Not only that, the process itself costs chefs money for labor, plus they need temperature-controlled space to store their dry aged meats.

Thankfully, experts agree that the sweet spot for dry aging beef is right around 21 to 30 days . So even though a night out at a steakhouse is usually reserved for a bonafide special occasion, don't be tempted to order the most expensive thing on the menu if you're celebrating. Save a few bucks by skipping out on overly aged steaks and blow the budget on a bottle of vintage Champagne instead.

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