Dry-Aged Steaks

In today’s NY Times wine column, Eric Asimov rhapsodized that “South Africa, of all places, is one of the greatest sources for moderately priced cabernet sauvignon on the planet today.” The catch is that his definition of moderately priced and ours differs somewhat. His top pick, the 2004 De Trafford from the Stellenbosch region, weighed in at $32. For that price, we’d rather pick up a bottle of our Vinum Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($17.50), also from the Stellenbosch region, and enjoy this ultimate steak wine with a 1/2 pound prime dry-aged NY Strip ($26.99/lb) from Provisions.

Of course, the Vinum Africa would also pair well with a ribeye strip ($18.59/lb) or a hanger steak ($10.99/lb) but if you’ve never tried dry-aged and wondered if it is worth the extra money, this is a good excuse. Dry-aged means exactly what it says. Prime steaks (a more marbled and for the most part desirable cut) are hung and allowed to age in cold, humid air, taking on a deep brown color and a more concentrated flavor. The dry-aged steaks we get at Provisions are grass-fed and we cut them to order. Because of the quality and intense flavor, you can forgo a marinade in favor of salt, pepper, olive oil or butter and a quick sear, making this a great quick, easy mid-week meal.