Dry-Aged Rib Roast with a Mustard, Garlic and Thyme Crust

Ingredients

• 4 ½ to 5-pound boneless beef rib roast
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, lightly chopped
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. To dry-age the beef, unwrap, rinse it well and pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Wrap the roast loosely in a triple layer of cheesecloth and set it on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Refrigerate for three to seven days; the longer the beef ages, the tastier it gets. After the first day, carefully unwrap and then rewrap with the same cheesecloth to keep the cloth fibers from sticking to the meat.
4. When ready to roast, unwrap the meat and shave off the hard, dried outer layer of the meat. Shave away any dried areas of fat, but leave as much of the good fat as possible.
5. If you’re not dry-aging, simply mince the garlic cloves with a chef’s knife and sprinkle with salt. Using the side of the knife, scrape and mash the garlic and salt together until they turn into a paste.
6. In a small bowl, combine the garlic paste with the mustard, thyme, olive oil and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture over all sides of the beef.
7. Put the roast, fat side up, on a rack set in a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet or a small roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
8. Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
9. Roast the beef for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
10. Let the beef rest for 20 minutes. Carve into thin or thick slices.