Cajun Prime Rib

Total Time: 27 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 3 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 lbs prime rib roast
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper, plus
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed, plus
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, plus
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Recipe

• 1 remove fat cap off top of meat (butcher can do this for you) and save.
• 2 place the roast, standing on the rib bones, in a very large roasting pan.
• 3 then with a knife make several dozen punctures through the silver skin so seasoning can permeate meat.
• 4 pour a very generous, even layer of 1/4 c black pepper over the top of the meat (the pepper should completely cover it); repeat with the 1/4 c garlic powder, then the 1/4 c salt, totally covering the preceding layer.
• 5 carefully arrange the onions in an even layer on top so as not to knock off the seasoning.
• 6 place the fat cap back on top.
• 7 refrigerate 24 hours.
• 8 bake ribs in a 550f oven until the fat is dark brown and crispy on top, about 35 minutes.
• 9 remove from oven and cool slightly.
• 10 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 disgard.
• 11 with the blade of a large knife, scrape off the onions and as much of the seasonings as possible and discard.
• 12 then with a long knife, slice between ribs into 6 steaks (4 will have bones); trim the cooked surface of meat from the 2 pieces that were on the outside of the roast.
• 13 season and cook in your favorite way for steaks.
• 14 to blacken the steaks: combine the remaining ingredients (1 t + 1 t salt through cayenne pepper) thoroughly in a small bowl; you will have about 8 tablespoons.
• 15 sprinkle the steaks generously and evenly on both sides with the mix.
• 16 use about 4 teaspoons on each steak and press it in with your hands.
• 17 heat a cast iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you see ash on the skillet bottom--at least 10 minutes. (the skillet cannot be too hot for this method.) place one steak in the hot skillet (cook only one side at a time) and cook over a very high heat until the underside starts to develop a heavy, black crust, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• 18 turn the steak over and cook until the underside is crusted like the first, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
• 19 repeat with the remaining steaks.
• 20 serve each steak while piping hot.