How To Get People To Say You Have A Great Rack
Holiday season definitely calls for some fun carnivorous meals (sorry vegans). I recently stopped eating pork for both humane and health reasons, so this year lamb was my go to dish. Every time I start working with a different meat, I try to cook it a few different ways and a few times so I can get used to it and learn to gage when it is cooked to perfection. In all honesty, steak and fish still intimidate me a little—yet I am confident I will soon get it down pat.
With lamb, I, again, utilized my method of experimenting with the meat a few times. I have made many a lamb burger in the past, but the frenched racks always seemed so professional and complicated. Well, as it turns out; I was wrong (which is never the case).. Lamb racks are incredibly easy! And it’s always a hit! This recipe is simplistic and requires very few ingredients or work, just make sure you give yourself enough time to let it sit. I highly suggest watching two episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, to distract yourself while you wait. They’re filming season 10 right now, and if you’re not as excited as I am, then perhaps we should not be friends. Now, back to the frenched racks. Let’s get this show on the road.
Overall Time: 2 hours
Yields: 8 servings (or 4 if you’re eating with my boyfriend)
INGREDIENTS:
10 cloves of garlic
6 sprigs of rosemary
1/4 cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 frenched racks of lamb (they should be roughly 2 lbs. each)
1/4 teaspoon of salt (I like pink Himalayan salt the best)
A generous amount of freshly ground pepper
Mint jelly (if you so desire)
Olive oil, Rosemary and Garlic Rub.
INSTRUCTIONS::
Chop the garlic and rosemary until it is very fine. Some people prefer using a food processor for such tasks and I’m sure that works just as well, however, I prefer chopping because I find it therapeutic.
Combine the rosemary and garlic with the olive oil and whisk it until its thoroughly combined.
Season the racks with salt and pepper and then rub them with the garlic-rosemary marinade until they are fully covered in it.
Set them on a baking sheet, fat side up, and let them sit for an hour to soak in all the flavor.
Preheat your oven to 450°.
Roast the lamb fat side up for 15 minutes. Try to place them in the upper part of the oven so they get that good good heat.
Flip the racks over, being careful to not burn yourself (I’m constantly covered in bandaids from kitchen incidents). Cook for another ten minutes if you wish to achieve a medium-rare finish. If you wish to have them more well done, like my mother (which I consider a complete deal breaker), then leave those puppies in for another 3-4 minutes.
Transfer them to a carving board and stand them upright, interlocking the bones. This is probably the best tie to take a photo to show off your work because this is definitely when they look complex and professional.
Let cool for ten minutes before cutting them between the bones.
Some people love a mint jelly with lamb—I completely detest it as my grandmother basically force fed it to me was a child, but to each his own.
Serve and Enjoy!
xx
Quentin Esme