Preparation:
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 on top. Refrigerate 24
hours.
Bake ribs in a 550F oven until the fat is dark brown and crispy 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 disgard. 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 have 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 for
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 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.
Turn the steak over and cook until the underside is crusted like the first,
about 2 to 3 minutes more.
Repeat with the remaining steaks. Serve each steak while piping 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. If you have a smoke detector in your house, you will be
able to determine if it is working correctly. This is NOT a dish to prepare
in an apartment building with a central fire alarm system wired into your
smoke detector. It causes great excitement! Also, you can be guaranteed you
will meet your land |
