Marinating Half-Rack of Lamb
By Cat, Dec 2007 (Photo, right, by Cat)
See also: 1. Lamb, Pork, Small Game Menu; 2. Mediterranean Menu
Other sites: Lamb Chops with Red Wine & Rosemary Sauce (4)
My Dad used to make roast leg of lamb and serve homemade mint jelly sauce with it. When I started cooking, I infused my mint jelly with a bit of rosemary. But now that I’m avoiding sugar, rubbing the meat with mint and/or rosemary is a much better way of getting this wonderful flavor.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to get lamb from a local farmer, so much the better! However, lamb is one of the better choices of fresh meet at the grocery because the smart sheep refuse to eat soy/grain feed and insist on grass and hay.
Rosemary Lamb Chops
Lamb Rack, Frenched
(Photo, left, from Food Network, but link is no longer valid)
This wonderful recipe is adapted from Food & Wine, March 2007 (1), and serves 4. To save time, ask your butcher to french the chops for you. If you want to do it yourself, Simply Recipes (2) provides a tutorial with photos, or see Alton Brown video (2).
I recommend letting the chops rest for an hour or so after rubbing on the rosemary (transfer to the fridge if more than an hour, then remove about 30 minutes before cooking them, so they can warm to room temp).
I can already see you grimacing at the lima beans. Really, I don’t understand why most kids have an aversion to them, that lasts into adulthood. But now that you’re an adult, why not give them another try? They are really good, especially when cooked in butter or olive oil as in this recipe. Another option is fava beans.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- rack of 12 baby lamb rib chops, frenched (about 2 ½ pounds) (see instructible on frenching, on Food Network (3)
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
- 1 cup frozen baby lima beans
- 1 small zucchini, cut into ½ inch dice
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 romaine leaves, cut crosswise into ⅓ inch ribbons, or kale
- ¼ cup shredded mint leaves, divided portions
- Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Cast iron grill pan or skillet
Method
- Rub chops with 1 Tbsp of oil. Mince the fresh rosemary and rub onto the chops.
- Heat 3 Tbsp of the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add scallions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the peas, lima beans, zucchini and crushed red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over very low heat until barely softened, about 15 minutes. Add the lettuce or kale and 2 Tbsp of the mint; cover and cook until the lettuce/kale is very tender, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat a grill pan or cast iron skillet. Grill chops over high heat for 3 minutes, season the top with salt and pepper; turn and grill 3 minutes more, for medium-rare.
- Spoon veggies onto plates and top with the lamb chops. Garnish with the remaining 2 Tbsp mint and serve.
Assembly or Serving Suggestions
- Serve as indicated in recipe, and accompany with home-fries, or steamed brown rice.
Testing
11/19/11: made as written but for 1 serving only, and used kale instead of lettuce. Excellent!
References
- Food & Wine, March 2007 recipe (foodandwine.com/recipes/rosemary-lamb-chops)
- Tutorials/videos on ‘frenching’ lamb chops/rack: Simply Recipes (simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_french_a_rack_of_lamb); Alton Brown video (youtube.com/watch?v=ZfcbueO7bBE)
- Food.com, Lamb Chops with Red Wine & Rosemary Sauce recipe (food.com/recipe/lamb-chops-with-red-wine-and-rosemary-sauce-201328)
