Recipe: Cajun Prime Rib

Cajun Prime Rib

1 (4-bone) prime rib of beef roast, about 10-1/2 pounds
about 1/4 cup black pepper
about 1/4 cup garlic powder
about 1/4 cup salt
2 medium onions, thinly sliced

SEASONING MIX (OPTIONAL):
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons white pepper
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)

Remove fat cap off top of meat (butcher can do this for you) and save.

Place the roast, standing on the rib bones, in a very large roasting pan. Then, with a knife make several dozen punctures through the silver skin so seasoning can permeate meat.

Pour a very generous, even layer of black pepper over the top of the meat (the pepper should completely cover it); repeat with the garlic powder, then the salt, totally covering the preceding layer.

Carefully arrange the onions in an even layer on top so as not to knock off the seasoning. Place the fat cap back to top. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Bake ribs in a 550 F. oven until the fat is dark brown and cripsy on top, about 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours. (This is done so the juices will solidify and the steaks can be cooked rare.)

Remove fat cap and discard. With the blade of a large knife, scrape off the onions and as much of the seasonings as possible and discard.

Then with a long knife, slice between ribs into 6 steaks (4 will habe bones); trim the cooked surface of meat from the 2 pieces that were on the outside of the roast. Season and cook in your favorite way fo steaks.

TO BLACKEN THE STEAKS:
Combine the ingredients of the seasoning mix thoroughly in a small bowl; you will have about 8 tablespoons. Sprinkle the steaks generously and evenly on both sides with the mix, using about 4 teaspoons on each steak and pressing it in with your hands.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you see white ash in the skittle bottom-at least 10 minutes. (The skillet cannot be too hot for this method.)

Place one steak in the hot skillet (cook only one steak at a time) and cook over very high heat until the underside starts to develop a heavy, black crust, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn the steak over and cook until the underside is crusted like the first, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining steaks. Serve each steak while pipping hot.

(NOTE: If you don't have a commercial hood vent over your stove, this dish may smoke you out of the kitchen. It's worth it! But you can also cook it outdoors on a gas grill; a charcoal fire doesn't get hot enough to blacken the steak properly.)