Roasted Rack of Lamb

When I’m feeding a crowd, I usually look for a large piece of meat to serve as the centerpiece, like a roasted chicken, braised pork shoulder, and roasted beef. The thing is, all of those take a decent amount of time to cook, and I live in an apartment with one kinda-small oven. That’s why I love to serve a rack of lamb.

This recipe is easy, delicious, and looks fancy, but without all the effort. Rub a marinade of herbs, garlic, and Dijon mustard on two racks of lamb and let them hang out at room temperature for an hour or overnight in the fridge (this is the opportunity to prep any accompanying dishes). Then, slide the lamb into a hot oven and roast to a perfectly juicy and tender medium-rare. The presentation is so fun and celebratory that it’ll make any dinner feel extra special.

• Unlike other large proteins, tender roasted racks of lamb cook to a perfect medium-rare in just 25 minutes.
• A simple rosemary and Dijon mustard rub brings a lot of flavor and creates a delicious crispy herb crust. It tastes fancy but takes no effort.

• Lamb: Two (2-pound) racks of lamb will feed 6 to 8 people, which is a nice portion of meat per person.
• Rosemary. Use fresh rosemary in the rub for a stronger flavor.
• Garlic. Add six cloves of grated garlic to the rub for a robust, garlicky flavor.
• Mustard. Dijon mustard adds flavor and acts as a base for the lamb rub.
• Flaky salt. Although optional, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on the carved lamb adds delicious pops of flavor.

1. Marinate the lamb. Make a paste with grated garlic, fresh rosemary, Dijon, salt, and pepper, then rub it all over the lamb. Set out at room temperature for an hour.
2. Cook the lamb. Arrange the lamb with the ribs pointing down. Cook for 15 minutes at 450ºF, then flip over and cook for another 10 minutes until the lamb has an internal temperature of 130ºF.
3. Rest the lamb. Set lamb on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes to rest before carving. This gives the juice time to redistribute.
4. Slice and serve. Cut between the rib bones into individual lamb chops.

• Swap fresh rosemary for another herb like thyme or parsley.
• Use whole grain mustard instead of Dijon.
• Add red pepper flakes to the rub for a little extra heat.

• The lamb can be marinated, covered, and refrigerated for up to 12 hours before roasting. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
• Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

No, but let me explain. A frenched rack of lamb means the fat cap and meat between each rib bone have been removed. This is almost entirely for presentation — those little lamb chop lollipops make for a dramatic presentation. Plus, it’s a bit easier to carve.

The fat cap on an unfrenched rack of lamb has a lot of delicious fat that will render off, which can be used later to roast veggies or potatoes. One downside to frenching is that it does remove some meat for aesthetic reasons. You can always add those bits to a stir-fry or soup to avoid waste.

If you do want frenched racks of lamb, you can ask the butcher to do it for you, or do it yourself. Here’s how to french a rack of lamb at home.

1. Make a deep cut through the fat layer where the rib bones meet the chop (about 2 inches above the meaty part of the chop) with a sharp chef’s knife or boning knife.
2. Work your knife under the fat to slice off and remove the fat cap, pulling it away from the rack to expose the ribs.
3. Carefully slice between each rib bone to remove the meat.
4. Use your knife to scrape off any remaining bits of meat and sinew to clean up the bones. Just before you start cooking the marinated rack of lamb, you can cover the frenched bones with a piece of foil to keep them from browning in the oven. This also makes for a prettier presentation.

Lamb is traditionally cooked to medium-rare, which keeps the meat tender and juicy. A digital thermometer is key to cooking lamb (or any cut of meat) to the right temperature. Although racks of lamb are large, they aren’t very thick. Two-pound racks of lamb should cook through in about 25 minutes in a 450ºF oven.

Because the lamb will continue cooking for a few minutes after it’s removed from the oven, I recommend roasting the rack of lamb until the internal temperature reaches 130ºF, then pull it out and let it sit to redistribute the juices before slicing.

American lamb tends to be larger and slightly fattier than Australian or New Zealand lamb. This means that, per pound, you will likely get fewer individual lamb chops from an American lamb (although the exact number will always vary). You may even need to add about 5 extra minutes to your roasting time if they’re really sizable. 

One more key difference is their diet. While all lamb is grass-fed, American lamb is typically finished on grain, which can make it taste milder and less gamey than imported lamb.

• Tzatziki Sauce (or mint sauce for dipping)
• Roasted Asparagus
• Greek-ish Grain Salad
• Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Polenta with Spring Vegetable Ragout
• Minty Snap Pea Salad
• Greek Lemon Potatoes
• Shoestring Fries (for a fun nod to steak frites)