The rack of lamb is a culinary delight and with a little expertise, you can make this dish at home for your loved ones. Although it looks extravagant and appetizing the process of making such a dish requires skill and patience. This is what deters people from making the rack of lamb. Just let your hair down and try this dish, after a few times of cooking this dish it will be a grand masterpiece that you can show off when you have guests over.
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What is a rack of lamb?
A rack of lamb is the most tender part of the lamb. There is the crowned rack of lamb, which originated in Britain in the 15 century. It was also popular in the US and Australia but because the rib points were not covered with paper truffles, it was not called crowned but merely a rack of lamb. A rack of lamb recipe is also nutritious as it usually contains vegetables including green vegetables. Three ounces of lamb contains 180 calories, 68 mgs of cholesterol, 21 grams of protein and 10 g total fat.
The difficulty involved in making a rack of lamb
It is moderately difficult to become a master of this dish. You can try it a few times at home before presenting it to your guests.
Cleaning a rack of lamb
If the rack of lamb that you purchased has not been cleaned, you can do it yourself by trimming the fat and meat from the bones with a sharp chef’s knife. Once you are an expert, ‘frenching’ the rack meat can be done in 5-10 minutes. Trimming rack meat is also called ‘frenching’. Carefully remove all of the fat or it will affect the taste of the dish. One 7-bone rack of lamb is sufficient the main dish for two people as, so buy an amount according to the number of people you are expecting.
Rack of lamb ingredients for two main servings
Get ready 4 tablespoons olive oil, an oven proof skillet, meat thermometer, half cup bread crumbs, salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly crushed pepper, 2 tablespoons sliced garlic, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, two tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 7-bone rack, carving knife, cutting bowl, aluminum foil and marinade brush.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. To know what a cooked rack of lamb looks like you can visit this site at: Tipdeck: Rack of Lamb.
The Process
Once all this is done, you can start with the actual process. The rack of lamb is all cleaned and ready, so now what you have to do is, mix together rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic with the two tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Take the rest of the oil and heat it in a heavy skillet that is ovenproof. The tricky part comes when you fry the meat over a high flame. Watch it keenly and make sure that your meat does not burn. It will take 2 minutes for the lamb to be seared. Once you remove it from the skillet wipe the excess oil on the meat with a pastry brush. Dab some mustard on it and then once it is thoroughly cooled add the breadcrumb mixture. The secret lies in rolling the rack in the mixture to coat it evenly.
Now you are ready for the cooking process in the pre-heated oven. Cover the tips of bones with aluminum foil and place the meat in the oven. Place the meat bone side down in the ovenproof dish in the center of the oven so that it cooks evenly. Check the meat once every 10-12 minutes. Generally cook it 20 minutes for rare meat and 25 minutes for medium rare meat. Carve the rack of lamb once it has cooled enough. For more of a show you can carve the meat at the table once your guests arrive but only do this once you have mastered the art of carving a rack of lamb. You can see the image at Stockfood: Carving Rack of Lamb.
Rack of lamb is offered by exclusive restaurants and most of them offer it throughout the year. If you are inviting guests out for a special lunch or dinner, then ordering this will be impressive.
