Cheyenne:

> So -
> does meat actually keep longer when left uncovered to dry out a bit?

Yeah, it does. The outside gets crsipy dry and the inside ages
wonderfully--if you have a self-defrosting fridge. Less successful if not.

> And - can fish & bird be stored similarly?

Fish fillets will work. Whole fish, no. A whole chicken can be hung but you
will get less off-flavors if you hang deboned pieces.

Indeed, unless you live in a moist climate, you can age these things at room
temp on a wire mesh in front of a fan. I'd guess a week in the fridge equals
a day at room temp, so you can get 30 days aging in less than a week if you
age at room temp...

Cheers,
Kirt