The Likely Reason You Won't Find Dry-Aged Steak At Texas Roadhouse - Tasting Table

"Texas Roadhouse's menu never lacks for variety - even after you settle on steak for dinner, you can choose from an impressive ten different cuts. However, having a lot of steaks doesn't make it a fancy butcher shop, which means you're not going to find dry-aged beef for purchase. The company has never made any statements on why it doesn't offer dry-aged meat, but it's likely because each restaurant butchers its steaks in-house."

"It's complicated to fully explain what dry aging does to beef and steak, but the main effect is moisture evaporation, which creates savory, complex flavors and an extra-tender texture that are highly prized. This requires time and space in ample quantities: The steaks must be strung up in a humidity- and temperature-controlled environment and left to dry for at least 60 days in most cases, through you can go shorter or longer."

"It's unlikely that most Texas Roadhouses have enough space in their kitchens to dedicate to this process. A solution would be to slice and age the meat off the premises, but the company guarantees that all of its steaks are freshly cut on-site. This famous policy explains why it's not feasible for the chain to dry-age beef at every location. You may not find dry-aged steak at the grocery store for similar reasons. However, steaks at the Roadhouse don't go right from cleaver to plate, either."

Texas Roadhouse does not offer dry-aged beef for purchase and likely cannot because each restaurant butchers steaks on-site. Dry-aging evaporates moisture to concentrate savory, complex flavors and produce extra-tender texture, and it requires hanging meat in a humidity- and temperature-controlled environment for lengthy periods, typically at least 60 days. Most Texas Roadhouse kitchens likely lack the space and time for that process, and the chain guarantees steaks are freshly cut on-site, making off-premises dry-aging impractical for every location. The chain uses short-term aging instead, with tenderloins aged about two weeks and other cuts aged 22 to 25 days, suggesting wet-aging.

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