What Can You Dry Age? A Complete Guide
A common question we hear from new dry ager owners is: "What else can I put in there?" The answer might surprise you. While dry-aged steak gets most of the attention, your Reserve 50 or Reserve 100 Dry Ager is capable of so much more. Here's a complete guide to everything you can dry age at home.
Beef
Beef is the classic choice for dry aging, and for good reason. The enzymatic breakdown that occurs during aging concentrates flavor and breaks down tough connective tissue, producing steaks with a rich, nutty depth that wet-aged beef simply can't match.
Best cuts: Bone-in rib loin, strip loin, and whole primals. The bone and fat cap protect the meat during aging and improve yield.
Aging time: 28–60 days. Most people find 45 days to be the sweet spot for a balance of tenderness and flavor.
Get started with our Dry Aged Beef Guide or try our 45 Dry Aged Rib Loin recipe for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Pork
Dry aging pork isn't as well known, but it's absolutely worth trying. The process intensifies pork's natural sweetness and creates a more complex flavor profile, especially with heritage breed or well-marbled cuts.
Best cuts: Bone-in pork loin, pork chops, or whole pork belly (before making into bacon).
Aging time: 14–28 days. Pork doesn't need as long as beef since the focus is more on flavor development than tenderization.
See our Dry Aged Pork Guide and our popular Dry Aged Bacon recipe.
Wild Game
If you're a hunter, your dry ager is about to become your favorite piece of equipment. Dry aging wild game like elk and venison mellows the gamey flavors while dramatically improving tenderness.
Best cuts: Elk loin, venison backstrap, or any large bone-in cut.
Aging time: 7–21 days depending on the cut and species. Game meat is leaner, so shorter aging times help preserve yield.
Try our Dry Aged Elk Loin recipe seasoned with Deer Camp Wild Game Seasoning.
Fish & Seafood
Dry aging fish is a technique borrowed from high-end sushi restaurants. The process firms up the flesh, draws out excess moisture, and concentrates the natural flavors of the fish, resulting in a cleaner, more intense taste.
Best choices: Whole salmon sides, tuna loins, or other firm-fleshed fish.
Aging time: 2–7 days. Fish ages much faster than meat, so keep a close eye on it.
Follow our Dry Aged Fish (Salmon) guide for detailed instructions.
Cheese
Your dry ager creates the perfect cave-like environment for aging cheese. The controlled temperature and humidity allow cheeses to develop deeper, more complex flavors over time.
Best choices: Cheddar, brie, blue cheese, gouda, and other semi-hard to hard cheeses.
Aging time: 2–8 weeks depending on the cheese and desired intensity. Set your ager to 55°F and 80% humidity.
See our Dry Aged Cheese recipe for settings and step-by-step instructions.
Charcuterie & Cured Meats
This is where your dry ager truly shines as a multi-purpose tool. Bresaola, capicola, chorizo, salami, and pepperoni: the dry ager provides the exact controlled environment needed for safe, consistent curing and aging of charcuterie.
Best choices: Bresaola (air-dried beef), capicola, dry cured chorizo, fermented salami, and pepperoni.
Aging time: 3–8 weeks for most charcuterie, until 35–40% weight loss is achieved.
Get started with our recipes:
- Bresaola: a great beginner charcuterie project
- Thermal Processed Charcuterie Guide: general guidelines for fermented sausages
Getting Started
No matter what you choose to age, the basics are the same: start with quality ingredients, keep your ager clean and sanitized, and let time do the work. If you're brand new to dry aging, check out our Dry Aging for Beginners guide for a complete introduction.
Ready to explore? Browse all of our Dry Ager recipes for step-by-step instructions on each technique.
