George’s Signature Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2 Frenched New Zealand Lamb Racks (Usually sold in pairs at any Sam’s, Costco, BJ’s…etc.)
- Fresh Chopped Garlic cloves (4-6 cloves)
- Fresh Lemons – 2 whole lemons (and their juice / halved)
- EVOO – 1 cup
- Dried Oregano (1 tbsp)
- Dried Rosemary (1 tbsp)
- Prepared Basil – Pesto (At a later time, I will provide my authentic recipe for this instead of purchasing it at a grocery store) – 1/2 cup
- Panko Breadcrumbs (2 tbsp)
- Italian breadcrumbs Seasoned (2 tbsp)
- Kosher Salt – to taste
- Black Pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Remove Lamb Racks from packaging – rinse with cold water and pat dry.
- Position each lamb rack (one at a time) upright and using a kitchen knife, cut 1 inch into the tenderloin (meaty portion) of the rack. These cuts will be made between each “frenched” bone and allows you to “fan” the rack of lamb out of the plate when serving (and will also assist you in determining the desired cooking temperature without using a probe thermometer.)
- After making these cuts between all bones for both racks, place racks in a refrigerator safe pan and marinate with the following:
- 1 cup of EVOO
- Juice of 2 whole lemons (DO NOT discard lemons after squeezing – you will place these in the pan with the lamb racks for overnight marinating)
- 5 Cloves of chopped Garlic
- 1 tbsp of dried oregano
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste (usually 1 tsp of each)
- Fully coat lamb rack with marinade and place in refrigerator for at least 24 hrs. (Variation – you may always marinate the racks in a freezer-grade, gallon size Ziplock bag.)
- AFTER the required marinating time, remove racks of lamb from marinade and place on heated grill (you can skip this step and immediately place in oven if needed – skip to step 8) or you can sear racks in a cast-iron pan in place of grilling.
- GRILL each rack of lamb for approximately 2 min on each side paying particular attention to the bones of the rack. Try to minimize flame-ups and burning of those bones (if needed – you can always wrap each individual bone in aluminum foil – but this step is both time consuming and not needed if you watch for grill flame-ups.
- REMOVE grilled racks of lamb and place on an over-safe roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Allow to rest while you prepare the SIGNATURE TOPPING.
- PREHEAT Oven on Bake/Roast to 400-425 degrees.
- SIGNATURE TOPPING PREPARATION – In a bowl combine the following ingredients:
- Basil Pesto Mixture
- Dried Rosemary
- Breadcrumbs (Seasoned Italian and Panko)
- 1 clove of finely chopped garlic
- Additional Pine Nuts are optional…
- Once mixture is fully incorporated and the consistency is firm – not loose (Add additional breadcrumbs if needed to achieve that level of firm consistency) – spoon mixture onto the top (tenderloin) portion of the lamb rack.
- Spread mixture out evenly on both racks of lamb and place in preheated oven.
- BAKE for 10+ min depending upon level of cooking temperature needed.
- Please NOTE – USDA recommends that the safe, internal temperature of lamb to be at 145 degrees – this will equate to a MED level of doneness. See USDA Temperature Chart.
- REMOVE from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Probe with meat thermometer. Please remember that during rest time, the internal temperature of meat will rise 5-10 degrees, so plan accordingly and check your lamb frequently while roasting. If you desire a final cooking temperature of 145 degrees, Remove lamb from roasting over around 135-140 degrees.
- It is not recommended that you cook lamb above 165 degrees as this will cause the meat to become extremely dry and flavorless.
- PLATE LAMB and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. (See picture) Enjoy!
Notes
Lamb Topping Variations: (Create these based on your own individual taste)
(The variations listed below allow you to experiment with additional toppings for each rack of lamb. All of these I have prepared and were offered on my menu at our restaurant. I have not released these recipes until now – Enjoy!)
- (Mediterranean Style – Feta Cheese combined with dried (or jarred) Julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes, Breadcrumbs (Italian and Panko), Fresh Chopped Curly Parsley, and fresh chopped garlic
- (French Style – Dijon Mustard combined with fresh garlic, fresh chopped curly parsley, Dried Rosemary, and breadcrumbs (Italian and Panko)
- (Greek Style) – The simplest of all. No toppings just ensure a FULL 24-48 hours of marination before grilling/roasting. When serving, top rack of lamb with additional fresh squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of dried oregano, and some EVOO.
- (Latin Style) – Chili Roasted Pistachios combined with cracked Black pepper, Panko Breadcrumbs, grated or shredded parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, EVOO, Cumin, and fresh chopped parsley. (Any cheese substitute works – Reggiano, Romano, Pecorino…Use your imagination)
** My favorite cheese is Parmigiano Reggiano – as this cheese comes ONLY from the Emilia- Romagna region in Italy and must be accompanied by specific rind markings and dots signifying approval from the “Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano” ruling body. It is aged for a minimum of 24 months and is distinctive in flavor and “crystal crunch”. (This crystal crunch comes at around 15+ months when tyrosine crystals form in the cheese during the aging process). The flavor is both dramatic and pleasing and a little goes a long way!