Also known as the ‘best end of neck’, rack of lamb is the most expensive cut of lamb, and certainly one of the most regularly cooked. Rack of lamb is a perfect choice if you’re planning to impress people at a dinner party!
If you’re planning to cook one of our rack of lamb recipes, it pays to know what you’re looking for when you drop in to see your local butcher. Your butcher will generally offer to prepare your rack of lamb for you, but if not, ask for your lamb to be ‘French trimmed’. This means the meat and sinew around the bones is removed and the bones are scraped clean – it’s a bit of a laborious process but important, as any stray bits of meat on the bone will burn when you cook the lamb, leaving you with black marks on your clean white bones. A rack of lamb generally serves two to three people, so plan accordingly.
Lamb is often regarded as heavy but a rack rarely is – it’s a tender cut with a delicate flavour that would suffocate in a rich sauce; infused butter, light Indian spices and accompaniments such as summer vegetables and ratatouille are ideal.
Lamb rack is best seared in a pan and finished in the oven – this gives you lots of control over your cooking temperatures but still gives you a nice caramelisation on the surface of the meat. Be sure to remove the meat from the fridge before cooking so it can come to room temperature.
This simple method for cooking a rack of lamb should ensure a beautifully caramelised crust and juicy pink meat within. Always season lamb with plenty of salt and pepper to bring out its wonderful flavour.
Method
- Heat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5
- Place a large frying pan over a high heat
- Season the rack and place it in the pan fat-side down. Cook until golden brown
- Quickly sear on the other side for 1 minute
- Transfer to a wire rack and place in the oven over a baking tray
- Check after 8 minutes by inserting a metal skewer close to the bone – it should be warm to the touch for pink meat. If it isn’t cooked, return to the oven for 2 minutes before checking again
- Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for at least 5 minutes
Source: https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-cook-a-rack-of-lamb
From Delish:
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58701/best-rack-of-lamb-recipe/
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 (8-rib) frenched racks of lamb (about 1 1/4 lb. each)
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse garlic, rosemary, thyme, and salt until minced. Drizzle in olive oil and process until a paste forms.
2. Place lamb on a large rimmed baking sheet and season all over with salt and pepper. Coat tops with herb rub and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°. Roast lamb for 20 minutes for medium-rare (the lamb should register 125° when using a thermometer; the temperature will rise once removed from oven and rested). If not at 125°, cook for another 5 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the centre reads 125°.
4. Tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before carving into chops.
5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
How to cook a rack of lamb: