Rack of Lamb
Yesterday was our anniversary! We got married two years ago with family and friends in attendance, after we had been together for 18 years. So, of course we wanted to do something special, and when I checked our freezer spreadsheet, I was thrilled to see we had a rack of lamb!
I knew I wanted to make a crust before roasting it, but since a rack of lamb is not something I cook often, I checked several recipes. One suggested searing the meat side of the rack in a pan on the stove before applying the crust, and Hank had the idea to sear it on the grill.
Once the rack of lamb had been seared, I let it cool for about ten minutes, then brushed it with Dijon mustard, and made a crumb crust. It really ended up being quite easy, and if you have an instant read thermometer, you will be able to monitor the internal temperature to make sure it is done to your liking. (I love my ThermoPop, a lower-priced model from the same company that makes the Thermapen, which is the favorite of many professional chefs.)
Dinner came out great, and Hank opened a 2000 Bordeaux, since we met in 2000. And then we watched the first movie we ever went to together, Keeping the Faith. (Actually, it’s pretty likely that we saw that movie in April of 2000 because that’s when it was released!) It was a great evening, and, to be honest, if we weren’t isolating at home, I had had an evening meeting scheduled after a field trip during the day, and we certainly would not have been able to celebrate at all. So despite, or rather because of all the constraints in our lives right now, it was lovely!
Rack of Lamb
Serves 2
1 rack of lamb (about 2 pounds, about 8 ribs)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2-3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup plain bread crumbs (if you only have flavored bread crumbs, increase the amount as needed and omit the cheese and herbs)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 Tablespoon herbes de Provence or other combination of herbs
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat a gas grill to medium high heat. (It may not be not practical to use a charcoal grill here as the effort in building the fire and preheating to sear one side for a brief time just isn’t worth it.) Trim the fat cap on the rack of lamb if it seems thick, but be sure to leave some fat attached. Salt and pepper both sides. Place the rack of lamb meat side down on the grill and sear for about 2-3 minutes, watching carefully so the fat doesn’t flare up too much.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Allow meat to cool for 10 minutes. Place the rack of lamb in a roasting pan meat side up. Brush the meat with the Dijon mustard.
Place the bread crumbs, Parmesan, herbes de Provence, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture all over the meat and gently press with your hand to help the mixture adhere to the mustard.
Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the meat registers 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium-rare on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow the lamb to rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut between the ribs to serve.