Lamb was not a meat I ate growing up, likely a combination of being a picky eater and living in midwest America. Australia, once again, is to thank for my foray into the wonderful world of lamb. Australians love lamb and now so do I! I actually prefer it to beef - lamb is more gamy and has an earthier taste than beef, which develops into a more complex flavour profile. If you have not tried it before, this recipe is a great place to start.
One thing you will notice when you go out to buy a frenched rack of lamb is that it is not cheap. You can try to french your own ("How To" here), but honestly it's worth the extra few bucks to buy one already done up. I consider this to be a special occasion meal so happy to splurge and skip this step. Given the cost, make sure to read/follow my tips below to make this recipe really hit home.
Tips for a Great Lamb Rack
- Make sure to sear your lamb. This not only seals in the juices, but also carmelizes the meat, which you will be thankful for when you taste it. I always sear my meat in a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil (peanut or canola are best) due to their high smoke point. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saute pan - best to avoid nonstick skillets for this step.
- Do not overcook. Similar to steak, lamb is best served medium-rare. I use a meat thermometer to help me get this perfect and make sure to take the roast out 5-10 degrees before my desired doneness, as the lamb will continue to cook while it rests. Rare: 125-130F / Medium-Rare: 130-140F / Medium: 140-150F
- Remember to rest your lamb. Just like any other meat, lamb needs to rest before serving. This time "allows the juices, which have been driven to the centre of the meat to redistribute throughout the meat and be reabsorbed." according to True Aussi Lamb and Beef. This leaves you with a juicy, tender piece of meat - yum.
Gin and Rosemary Roasted Lamb
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb frenched lamb rib
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tbl fresh rosemary
- 1 tbl fresh basil
- 1 tbl fresh oregano
- 1 tbl honey
- 2 tbl olive oil
- 1 tbl gin
- 1/2 tbl lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Directions
- Step 1 MARINADE: Throw all of your marinade ingredients into a mini chopper and whiz up until it forms a thin paste. If you do not have a mini chopper, mince your garlic & herbs and blend as well as you can with the remaining ingredients. You could also use a mortar and pestle to combine.
- Step 2 Cover the meaty part of your lamb with your marinade (leave the ribs untouched) and refrigerate overnight.
- Step 3 LAMB: take out your marinated lamb and rest until it is room temperature (about 30min). Preheat your oven to 450F
- Step 4 Next, you will want to sear all edges of the meat to hold in all that great flavour. Heat 1 tbl oil (canola or peanut is best) in a cast iron skillet on high heat and wait until the oil "shimmers" - that is when you know its ready to go!
- Step 5 Place your meat in the pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. The meat/marinade will crust and brown quickly, but you don't want it to burn. Watch this carefully - usually you would sear meat without a marinade, but I found this to work well and trap in both the lamb and marinade flavors.
- Step 6 Once your lamb is browned, place on a roasting rack and cover the exposed ribs with aluminum foil. Place in the preheated oven for 12-18min, depending on your desired doneness. I always recommend taking your meat out when it is 5-10 degrees lower than you want as the meat will continue to cook.
- Step 7 Rest for 15 minutes, covered loosely, before serving.
