Dry aged beef trimmings

[paulraphael]

I just had a chuck roll dry aged 4 weeks by my butcher (for cutting into steaks that will be cooked sous-vide).

 

When I trimmed off the crust I ended up with about half a pound of really delicious-smelling trim with the texture of jerky. My cat loves it. I'm disinclined to eat it, because I have no idea what kinds of mold and spoilage bacteria are lurking there, but I'm wondering if anyone's experimented with a way to extract flavors or aromas from this stuff?

 

I smell a science project.

[Paul Bacino]

Be a great addition to a ground burger..maybe?

[Mjx]

Beef dust!

 

When I ate at the CIA, I had the roast beef something-or-other, and part of the reason I chose it was because one of the ingredients was 'beef dust' (or 'powder', perhaps? It was half a year ago, i'm a bit hazy on this now, although i do recall this being excellent and ultra-beef-y). I'd experiment with this by roasting or microwaving it until it's completely hard and dry, and grinding it in something you either are certain can handle it, or don't care about too much (I have a hunch that proteing fibres, even when dead dry, may present a challenge to the ordinary grinder).

[Simon Lewinson]

Jerky time! Marinate, dry and eat!

I have done this a number of times with venison and as long as the trimmings are not outwardly funky and moldy I see no reason not to eat it.

Simon

[paulraphael]

All great ideas. I just want to make sure there's consensus that the stuff is safe. The thing I'm most concerned about is bacterial toxins, which can be chemical and heat-resistant, and fungus / fungus byproducts, which I don't know anything about. Probably far fetched, but I don't want to make a habit of something that might be sketchy.

 

The beef dust idea is intriguing. A vita-prep sounds ideal for the pulverizing (I don't have one, sadly). I wonder if you lose a lot of important aromatics while dehydrating.

 

 

 

And ...kinda beside the point, but I wrote that I got a pound of trimmings above. I meant a half pound. Surprisingly little (starting weight was 7.5lbs, so it lost 1/2 lb water also). 

[FeChef]

I use my dry aged beef trimmings for making a bold stock for a hearty beef stew, stroganoff, or pot roast.

[scamhi]

use the trimmings to make a bordelaise sauce for the meat