Things tend to get better with age in Las Vegas — like dive bars, casino marquees, and me 😁 But nothing’s better than a dry-aged steak at one of our great local restaurants. When meat is stored in a cool, low-humidity environment, it allows the enzymes to break down the tissues for a tender bite and concentrated flavor. So what's the secret to a great dry-aged steak? We checked in with three Las Vegas chefs who’ve mastered the craft.
🥩 Sam Marvin, Echo & Rig
You may have noticed the on-site butcher shop at the original Echo & Rig steakhouse at Tivoli Village. Chef and owner Sam Marvin takes his beef seriously, preferring to dry-age ribeyes and short loins for 45 days, which he says is the sweet spot.
“Anything with a bone is better dry-aged,” Marvin says. “All those nutrients and minerals coming out of the bone are touching the meat. So you’re getting a lot of flavor out of that. And the marrow in that bone is leaking out and flavoring the beef again.”
The chef grills his steaks over an open flame — at both the original Echo & Rig and a newer location in Henderson — and saves his trimmings for a juicy house burger.
🥩 Matt Meyer, Independent Chef
Matt Meyer was one of the first chefs to bring dry-aged fish to Las Vegas at his now-closed 138° Restaurant and continues to push boundaries with a pop-up dining experience Oct. 3 - 4 (5 p.m. and 8 p.m.) at the Sky Tower Banquet Hall. The $250 price includes a massive feast (five courses that each consist of two to five dishes each) with tax, tip, and wine pairings included.
While Meyer likes to dry-age most cuts at 45-50 days, there are exceptions like the Masami Ranch American Wagyu he’s serving at the dinner. It’s so full of fat and flavor, it takes 90 days to break down, a process discovered through trial and error.
“I'm looking for tenderness in the meat itself, but also those truffle, blue cheese, and nutty flavors that are synonymous with dry aging,” Meyer says.
It’s a different story for dry-aging fish, which is about bringing out the natural oils, requiring far less time. ”Even a 15-pound salmon, you don't really want to age that longer than 10 days,” Meyer says. The chef dry ages duck and pork too, while experimenting with other Old World techniques to enhance flavors — like curing fish with Koji, an ancient form of fermenting rice.
🥩 Nicole Brisson, Brezza
Nicole Brisson was in charge of Carnevino’s acclaimed dry-aging program at the Venetian and now brings her experience to Brezza in Resorts World. “I love that we’re preserving an artisanal practice,” she says. “I also love the unique flavor characteristics that make it pair with great wine, whiskeys, and cigars.”
The chef plays the long game, dry-aging steaks for a minimum of 90 days. “I found after the 35-45 day mark, the flavor profile plateaued until you hit 90 days. When you get to 90 days, the flavors become more concentrated, the enzymes are broken down, and the beef is more palatable.”
Try for yourself at Brezza, where cuts are broiled and finished with Tuscan olive oil. In a unique touch, customers can order steaks on a retail basis to pick up from the restaurant.
- Las Vegas has a deep, delicious history with steakhouses. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
