Lamb Rack (french style) - grill & marinade question!

NDG

johnmitchell . . I just picked up a French Syle Lamb Rack.  I found a great recipe for Tangy Maple Mustard Lamb and just whipped up the marinade . . . wow-holly-sh*t-amazing!  I do not have much experience with Lamb and the recipe is vague . . so can somebody help me with my question below? Here is the recipe and pic of my lamb. 

QUESTION . . . should I just chop these now for the marinade and then grill each chop individually?  Or should I keep it together as a rack for the marinade and grill?

• http://www.kalofagas.ca/2011/07/19/tangy-maple-mustard-lamb/

NDG

I just found a suggestion on that link that says "chop first then marinade".  Surprising to me though because it seems as though it will cook super fast and could be more dry this way?  Any thoughts to cooking whole?

SmokeyPitt

I think it is a personal preference depending on whether you prefer a roast or chops.  If you leave it whole then you will have much more rare "interior" meat.  Chops, you will get cooked/milliard on each side of every chop.  No right or wrong answer, just preference.  My preference would be to leave it as a rack, and then slice when serving.   

You will probably get more flavor from the marinade if you slice first, but my preference would still be to keep it a whole rack. 

NDG

Great - thank you @smokeypitt.  I am new to lamb, so wanted to make sure I didnt break a cardinal rule of some-sort.  Not sure which way I will go yet, but I will post pics when complete.

Spank You!

Little Steven

You don't get much meat in chops from a rack really unless you cut two bones. I do a lot of rack of lamb and your best bet is whole. You will get a lot of colour on the fat side and bone side.

NDG

Thanks.  I got the whole rack in the marinade now, so I will cut & glaze after the grill.

Little Steven

Good choice

 

Little Steven

I pulled a rack out of the freezer cause of you. You better show us some pics...it is a rule.

NDG

Well  . . . . I failed.  New protein for me, so I am ok with that because its all part of the game.  Fails = Experience.  

If you care . . here is my FAIL story and some pics.  I went raised direct at about 450 for about 4 mins a side . . these thing REALLY plumped up!  My internal temp was nowhere near done at the 8 mins, so I keep the rack in the egg and shut all the vents.  About 10 mins later, I quickly checked the internal temp and it said around 150 - so I pulled thinking it was over!  Let the meat rest and cut into it.  NOT DONE.  I must have stuck my thermapen in a pocket of fat or near a bone or something to get a bad reading.  At this point, I am turned off and a pissed at myself.  I put the whole rack into the oven to finish-up.  THEN I embarrassed myself again (just my wife and I - thankfully) and could not figure out why I couldnt cut through every rib!  I got out my super sharp shun determined to cut each chop separate . . and still couldnt cut through them! I guess thats lamb?  GRRRRRR.  Anyway, overall flavor at the end (after 9:00pm) was good but we were both turned off and frustrated by that point. But Hey, I learned a lot (I think) and would try this again someday . . .

SmokeyPitt

Finished product looks great from here.  Sorry for all the frustration.  I suspect you are correct that you may have been taking temp near the bone.  Another thing is in my limited experience lamb appears more rare than beef at the same internal temp. 

I have had trouble getting through rack of lamp and rack of pork as well.  I find I hold one of the bones and stand it up (bones facing straight up) and cut down between the bone and just sort of follow the bones I can get through.  Sometimes there is a tough layer (cartilage?) to cut through. 

SenecaTheYounger

Be careful grilling the lamb roast direct.  The pretty black grill marks are actually burnt fat, and burnt lamb fat can be bitter.

Brown is what you want.  Roasting indirect is usually preferable.  Look at Little Steven's photo.

The difficulty in cutting is usually caused by the chine bone, and requires a little wiggle of the knife to the left or right after cutting between the two ribs. 

Your rack doesn't look like the butcher properly Frenched it, sorry so say.  That will leave you with a large fat cap, much more fat than lean in the overall portions that you serve.  And if they are really thorough in Frenching it, they will trim off the chine bones.

It sounds like a few very small mistakes differences added up to a not so pleasant experience.  That's disappointing, because Rack of Lamb is such a classic meal.

I would suggest trying again, but Frenching it yourself, drying it over night, roasting indirectly and slowly, with a herb and garlic seasoning (with salt and pepper of course) or even roasted in a pistachio or macadamia crust. It is a lot of work.

This used to be my standard anniversary dinner. It is now a retired cook for me.

Little Steven

Also, there was a lot of maple syrup in your marinade. That can lead to a burned exterior. Rack of lamb is equivalent to a (prime) rib roast of beef and chops are generally the same as T-bone steaks. If they are loin chops they will be specified as such. You wouldn't marinate a rib roast of beef but you might a T-bone. Next time try a mildly seasoned rack and do it indirect as Seneca says or a higher raised grid. Hope that makes sense.

nolaegghead

I realize everyone has different palates, but I really enjoy burned lamb fat.  I enjoy eating it with the underlying lamb protein and will sear the bejesus out of the lamb to get it.  I realize this may not taste good to the general public, but when I cook for myself, I ensure the lamb fat is crispy.

Little Steven

nolaegghead said:

I realize everyone has different palates, but I really enjoy burned lamb fat.  I enjoy eating it with the underlying lamb protein and will sear the bejesus out of the lamb to get it.  I realize this may not taste good to the general public, but when I cook for myself, I ensure the lamb fat is crispy.

Don't get me wrong, my dogs get nothing after I do a rack. I agree with Seneca about the trimming but there is loads left after and it is great.

nolaegghead

Sure...lamb fat is strong tasting....gamey?  I agree too much is too much.  My favorite lamb is leg cut into kabobs, marinated and seared to rare-medium rare. Or whole leg served with a horseradish sauce.

Little Steven

Phil (pantsypants) came over in the winter to make lamb sausage with me. We were both picking it off right after the grind.