The whole 'never wash a bone-in ribeye' rule got me curious after 5 years in the trade

I always heard you ruin the meat by rinsing it, but last week I tried a quick cold water wash on a prime rib before dry aging and the crust came out way better. Has anyone else tested this or am I just asking for trouble with bacteria?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameronp471mo ago

Buddy of mine tried it on a brisket and the bark came out way more even than his usual dry brine method. Ever notice how many of these "rules" just turn out to be personal preference dressed up as gospel?

adams.uma1mo ago

Oh come on, now you're making me think about how people overthink everything these days! It's like how everyone says you gotta use cold water for pasta but then some guy in Italy tells you to use hot tap water and his grandma's recipe has been around longer than the internet. I think we get so caught up in these "rules" that are just someone's opinion from 30 years ago that stuck. A quick rinse isn't gonna wreck a good piece of meat if you're smart about drying it properly afterward. So your crust came out better, right? That's the result, not the theory.

jamieb801mo ago

Ha! My buddy tried the same thing with a striploin and swore the sear was way better. He said the crust came out like glass, never went back to dry rubs on anything.