Slather This Condiment All Over Prime Rib For The Richest Crust Imaginable

There are few cuts of beef finer or more luxurious than prime rib. Cut from the back section of the ribs (typically ribs 6 through 12 on the cow), prime rib is well-known for its tender texture and succulence because it comes from an area of the cow that gets little exercise, resulting in soft meat marbled with lovely, flavorful fat. Of course, enjoying the best possible dining experience requires that you choose the best cut of prime rib from the grocery store and use the right cooking method to take advantage of the meat's best qualities.

Since prime rib is a tad expensive, it usually serves as the centerpiece for gatherings and celebrations, making cooking it properly somewhat intimidating. However, you can practically guarantee a deep, rich, delicious flavor and perfectly seared, crisp crust by slathering your prime rib in honey mustard. The moisture from the honey mustard helps lock in the prime rib's juices while caramelizing into a beautifully flavorful crust, negating the need to risk drying out this luxe cut by putting it under the broiler.

Additionally, prime rib benefits from the condiment's tangy sweetness, which is a tasty contrast to the meat's deep richness. We already know that honey mustard is the perfect glaze for ham and that Martha Stewart brushes honey mustard on her famous salmon, so it's the perfect pairing for a variety of proteins — prime rib being no exception. It's rich enough to stand up to honey mustard's strong flavor without being overshadowed, forming the perfect partnership.

While there's absolutely nothing wrong with simply coating your prime rib in your favorite brand or homemade blend of honey mustard, you'll enhance both the texture of the crust and the overall flavor of the meat by stirring some additional seasonings into the mix. Salt and pepper are the foundation of flavor, but freshly cracked pepper and flaky sea salt both have a more intense flavor than their tabletop counterparts. Both add a decent amount of natural crunch, as well.

The same can be said for using stone ground honey mustard rather than smooth varieties or dry mustard powder. Stone ground has whole mustard seeds with a more intense, peppery flavor than smooth, blended mustard has, along with the natural crispness the seeds develop during the cooking process. Along with the sticky honey, mustard's moisture also helps additional seasonings like rosemary, tarragon, smashed garlic, and hot paprika cling to the outside of the meat, allowing the fat to carry their flavors into the prime rib.

Though a honey mustard crust is delicious when paired with the traditional method of oven-roasting your meat low and slow, it's absolutely heavenly when you give your prime rib the VIP treatment by smoking it. Not only does this method give that gorgeous, dark crust more time to develop, it infuses the meat with savory smokiness all the way through. This marries and blooms the flavor in that fabulous crust, creating a celebratory centerpiece you'll make on repeat.