Rack of lamb is a dish I've ordered occasionally in restaurants, but never prepared at home until this month. It's a cut not usually available in the supermarkets where I shop. When I saw New Zealand rack of lamb for the first time at Trader Joe's, I couldn't resist it trying it. It's an impressive dish for a holiday dinner.
The recipes I found online were similar, involving a rub of herbs and spices before roasting the meat. Many specified chopped fresh rosemary in the rub. With no fresh herbs on hand and no time to go back to the store for them, I chose a recipe that used ingredients I had in my spice rack.
My recipe is adapted from one that used a larger rack than I had. You'll find it at https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/rack-of-lamb/.
Racks of lamb have eight rib bones and vary in weight from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. For a one-pound rack, I used the smaller amount of each ingredient in the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Olive oil or spray
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (a scant 1/2 teaspoon for the 1-pound rack)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (a scant 1/4 teaspoon for the 1-pound rack)
Instructions
1. An hour before you roast the lamb, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cover the foil with a light coating of olive oil, either sprayed or smeared on.
2. Put the lamb on the foil, fat side up. Make small shallow slits one inch apart in the fat.
3. Spray or coat both sides of the lamb with olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme and sprinkle the mixture on the lamb. Leave the lamb outside the fridge for an hour.
4. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
5. For medium rare, roast the lamb in the oven for 18-25 minutes depending on the weight. Use a thermometer to test the temperature in the thickest part of the meat away from the bone. A 1-pound rack will need about 18-20 minutes in the oven to reach medium-rare (135 degrees). If you like your lamb medium or well done or if you have a larger rack, increase the roasting time.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Tent it with foil for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the rack upside down, cut between the ribs, and serve.
You'll notice extra meat in the middle photo. Sometimes a bonus small side rib or just the meat from it comes with the standard 8-rib rack.
Serving the meat with vegetables and a large salad, we found that two ribs sufficed for each of us. We had a second lamb meal, heating the meat covered at half-power in our microwave. I was amazed at how well this simple recipe turned out. If you're serving guests this dish as a main course, count on 3 servings per rack, 4 if you have a lot of sides or if the meat weighs close to 1.5 pounds.
Readers: Have you tried making or eating something new lately?
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I have to confess - I've never eaten lamb. Maybe it's time I give it a try - if I can find it. Thank you for the recipe and giving me the incentive to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteWhile I haven't tried anything new lately, I'm always welling. As we use to tell our daughter - you don't know if you like it if you don't at least try it.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thanks for your comment, Kay. Your advice to your daughter is on target when it comes to food. Have a great holiday!~Maya
DeleteA rack of lamb would be 2+ servings in my house! We love it.
ReplyDeleteMy usual treatment is to rub Bragg's Amino Acids (or soy sauce) over the rack after cutting diagonally across the fat. Then a heavy sprinkle of garlic powder and thyme.
My granddaughter loves it, too, even though her mother does not. She love anything with a bone to chew on!
Both Aldi's and Fresh Market have been having racks on sale.
Thanks for your comment. Your recipe sounds great. I saw an ad for Aldi's rack of lamb at about half what I paid.
DeleteI have never made a rack of lamb, but have done a leg of lamb. I like it and have one brother-in-law who loves it, but the rest of the family prefer almost anything else! Once it awhile he and I manage to sneak it onto the menu for Easter, but otherwise, we look for restaurants that serve lamb. This sounds lovely though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Marcia. I didn't much care for lamb for many years, but tastes change. I'm still picky about it. I like Colorado or New Zealand lamb the best.
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