Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

how to cook a frenched rack of lamb?

AlaskanC
AlaskanC Posts: 1,346
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My order from Niman Ranch showed up today. Beautiful meat! I got my dad a frenched rack of lamb (geez that thing is teeeeeeny for the $$) but I don't know how one goes about cooking it. Any tips?

Comments

  • Apple
    Apple Posts: 49
    AlaskanC, One of my favorites. In a bowl combine a couple Tbs. of fresh rosemary, minced garlic to taste, salt & pepper, and a liberal splash of EVOO. Mix to form a paste and then rub into lamb, coating all surfaces. Cook direct @ 375 dome until 125 internal. Let rest for 10 min. Carve and enjoy. Steve.

  • Richard
    Richard Posts: 698
    AlaskanC,
    I like to cook at 350 for med rare, the lamb will dry out if not careful.. You might consider wrapping the little bone ends in foil. Sometimes they burn.

  • DobieDad
    DobieDad Posts: 502
    Melissa,[p]One thing you need to watch is the amount of fat on the rack. [p]When cooked direct the fat melts, drips onto the lump and fuels an inferno. The deposited char is not tasty.[p]Agressively trim the fat from the rack, wrap the bones in foil (they will cook but not char) and cook direct. I don't sear. I use an elevated grid, dome around 400 - 450 and the crust comes out beautifully at my end point, which is a pink (not rare) middle.[p]Put one clove of fresh garlic, pepper, salt, oregano, thyme and rosemary in a mortar with some EVOO and mascerate. Spread on the rack. Give it an hour or two if you can, but not more than about 4 hours.[p]Use your Thermapen and pull at 130. Rest 10 min and enjoy.[p]HTH, and Happy Holidays!!![p]DD
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    AlaskanC,
    teeny is right, sweetcheeks. hope you ain't got a crowd to feed![p]six bones'll fee maybe two peeps.[p]i keep it simple, as apple has suggested below.
    olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe garlic.
    you can sear quickly, yank off and let it cruise at 375 til about 135 internal. [p]you can also do a high temp roast, at 400-425 and just keep an eye on the internal temp. 130 or so, because it'll cruise to 140 maybe when you take it out.[p]you may want to foil the bones as richard said, if you are one for apppearances!

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Haggis
    Haggis Posts: 998
    AlaskanC,[p]Gosh, guess what we had tonight![p]Ours was only half a set of eight (from Costco.) I use a variation of the classic Frenched rack - a sear followed by a dwell or, basically a variation of the TRex approach to beef. The primary difference is that the bare bones can easily become totally burned off so you need to keep temps below 650 dome for the sear. [p]Tonight I removed as much of the heavy fat as I reasonably could (My wife loves fat but I very much dislike the taste of burned lamb fat) and also the membrane on the meaty section. Gave it a healthy dose of DP Red Eye Express (which I use for most heavily flavored red meats) and seared each side for 2-3 minutes at 650 dome. Removed it from the Egg while cooling the Egg to the 350-400 range (wrapping the rack in foil) and then put it back on for a roast. I'd guess the roast took a short 15 minutes but I didn't time it. I used the Thermopen inserted at one end and passed up to the middle of the rack to check temp, and removed when I was in the 125-130 range (depending on exactly where the probe was.) Let sit for about 5-7 minutes before dividing. Came out a medium to medium rare.[p]Notes:[p]1. This was on my medium with normal rack level and lump about 8-10 inches below. Previous racks were on my large and I absolutely had to foil the bare bones in those (my first try when I seared at something approaching 900 left nothing but black stumbs!)[p]2. Red Eye Express is almost too strong for this cut, especially since mild tasting lamb is fairly common these days. Some of the other posts suggested milder and more traditional seasoning and I'd support that approach. However, I have tried Herbs d'Provence on EVOO in the past and it was not particularly good.[p]3. Be very careful during the roast - these things can go from 95 to 130 in 5 minutes at 350 and can quickly be overdone. I removed at less than 130 and was fortunate - my spouse particularly likes rare so I gave her the center ribs.[p]Not sure what else to add . . . good luck to you!
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Haggis,
    i think we'd get along very well....[p]hahaha
    i love rack of lamb. and anyone with a rare-loving spouse can't be half bad.

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • AlaskanC,
    nature boy is the master of rack of lamb. ..here is a link to his recipe/directions. . . follow them and you won't be sorry. . ..

    [ul][li]http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/recipesLambChops.html[/ul]
  • AlaskanC
    AlaskanC Posts: 1,346
    stikecheeks,[p]It's not going to feed much, thats for sure..... but I don't like lamb so I am in the clear! :)
    I think I will do the simple sear & dwell thats been suggested.....and I will cook a burger for myself! :)

  • AlaskanC
    AlaskanC Posts: 1,346
    Haggis,[p]First of all, is there anything that you haven't cooked/ mastered yet???[p]Next, thank you so much for the detailed instructions! We are going to have my parents over for dinner on Sunday so thats when I'll be cooking the lambipops and begging for more help! :)
  • AlaskanC
    AlaskanC Posts: 1,346
    Max - I just saw that. Why I didn't think to check there first.... [p]Hey - have you come up with all of your holiday dinners yet? If you have a vacant slot let me know. :)
  • Haggis
    Haggis Posts: 998
    AlaskanC,[p]The racks of lamb we've had in the last couple years have actually been very mild in flavor - not at all the strong mutton flavor we once found in large lamb cuts and that put off many people.
  • Haggis
    Haggis Posts: 998
    AlaskanC,[p]Much I haven't mastered . . . I stand in awe of some of the dishes (and the photos!) I see discussed by the true masters on this forum. And my wife drools when she sees the photos of your salmon![p]After Max mentioned the recipe on the DP site I took a look at it and realized that it is so similar to what I suggested that I may have been influenced by it at some point. Anything that deviates from that method came from my own experience (my wife loves the racks and I do them fairly often even though I find them a bit of a hassle) or from friends who do the classic racks in their kitchens. Anyway - good luck! I'm sure you will impress the folks!