Rack of lamb: what is it, what part, 5 recipes on how to cook the most tender meat

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Updated: Vitaliy

05/28/2014 Cooking time: 1 hour 0 minutes

This is not just a rack of lamb, it is a rack of lamb with rhubarb sauce, red wine and rosemary. A delicacy dish that can be served on any holiday table for dear guests.

Why do you need to marinate a rack of lamb?

Not many people know that in order to deliciously fry a rack of lamb in a frying pan, you need to properly marinate it. Marinating the meat ahead of time serves two purposes. This is a great way to pre-salt young lamb, which helps the racks retain their juiciness while cooking. Marinating with herbs and garlic adds extra flavor to the lamb.

The marinade in this recipe includes fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, garlic and olive oil. You can easily substitute other herbs or seasonings, such as thyme or herbes de Provence.

Marinate the rack of lamb for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If you are working with double ribs, let them sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before cooking.

How to do it right?

This recipe will allow you to prepare a traditional dish that will not take much time. To prepare it, it is better to choose uncut ribs with tenderloin, without the spinal bone. It is best to take the meat chilled. If it was frozen, then it must be thawed at room temperature, rinsed thoroughly, drained and dried. Rack of lamb is a dish for real gourmets. Therefore, only natural, high-quality ingredients are used to prepare it. No mayonnaise or ready-made mixtures for meat should be used.

The best meat is considered to be lamb from New Zealand. Animals on the farms of this country are kept in ideal conditions and eat fresh grass. Lambs intended for meat are sterilized. This is done in order to exclude the presence of any foreign smell, which people who do not like lamb so much dislike.

A lamb is considered an animal that has not yet reached 1 year of age. It is at this age that its meat is already quite “mature”, but still remains unusually tender. A real rack of lamb from New Zealand is not cheap, but it can easily be replaced by a young lamb raised in our area. By properly cooking it in the oven, you can get excellent results.

Doneness or internal temperature of meat

Rack of lamb is such a tender piece of meat that it will cause you absolutely no trouble. In fact, the only thing you really need to take care of is not overcooking it. Lamb is best eaten medium to medium rare.

Roasting tender lamb for too long can result in dry, less juicy meat. However, if you have fans who prefer their meat well done, you can always cook it well done.

Because ribs are so small and cook so quickly, checking the internal temperature of the ribs with a thermometer may not be practical. For this reason, I like to use the finger test to test the doneness of the meat.

If you have an instant-read thermometer and want to test thicker chops, aim for 51°C for rare, 57°C for medium and over 60°C for well done.

Rack of lamb baked in the oven

To prepare the mixture for the marinade, a kilogram of meat is taken in strict proportions:

• 3-4 tablespoons unrefined olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• a pinch of ground black pepper;
• sprig of rosemary;
• thyme, basil, marjoram to taste;
• 2-3 crushed bay leaves.

There is no consensus among culinary experts regarding the presence of garlic in the recipe. Some people believe that it greatly changes the taste of meat. For those who are okay with the garlic taste, you can add 3-4 cloves, crushed in a mortar.

Rub a piece of rack with this mixture, place it in a container and cover it with cling film. Marinating time is 1-2 hours. You should not keep the meat in the marinade for longer. During this time, the spices will have time to “open up”. The piece is carefully wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in an oven preheated to 180°C for 1 hour. Cooking time is always equal to weight. If the piece weighs 1.5 kg, then the cooking time will be one and a half hours. It is also important to maintain temperature conditions.

About 10 minutes before cooking, you can open the foil so that the meat browns. The traditional side dish for this dish is young boiled potatoes and fresh vegetable salad.

What can you serve with lamb ribs?

You can make the sauce in the same pan as the rack by quickly frying a few shallots and adding a little water or red wine. If you want a thick sauce, add a little fried flour or starch. Reduce heat, then add a small piece of butter.

We love to eat rack of lamb with polenta, mashed potatoes or celery root puree. Lamb also goes well with green peas, boiled or fried asparagus and green beans. You can prepare a mix of lettuce leaves, simply seasoned with olive oil and wine vinegar.

How to choose a cooking method?

There are many ways to prepare this dish. Connoisseurs of the natural taste of meat will most likely prefer grilled rack of lamb; lovers of herbs and spices will prefer oven baking; many are happy to experiment with sauces and marinating methods. Whatever recipe for rack of lamb you choose, the result will not disappoint.

The most important thing is to follow the “golden” rule of cooking lamb. This meat should never be overcooked! Therefore, it is very important to maintain the temperature and recommended cooking time. In the oven, temperature and time timers will help you do this; in other cases, it’s better to get a clock. Even 5 minutes of excess temperature exposure can deprive the meat of its tenderness and softness. Mutton, and especially lamb, is considered safe meat for human health, and long heat treatment makes no sense.

When choosing a cooking method, it is worth remembering that when frying lamb in oil or grilling, it would be better to avoid using a large amount of herbs and spices during marinating, since in the first case they will burn without improving the taste of the meat. And when frying in a pan, it is better to add them at the very end. In this case, they will fully reveal their aroma. But marinating the lamb well before baking in the oven is the secret to the success of a luxurious dish worthy of the most refined European table.

It is worth emphasizing that rack of lamb can be considered a traditional English dish, although it is prepared in many European countries.

But it is England that is considered the country where this method of cooking lamb was invented.

Braised lamb loin

Compound:

• lamb loin – 1 kg;
• tomatoes – 0.25 kg;
• onions – 150 g;
• rosemary – 2 sprigs;
• salt, pepper mixture - to taste;
• refined vegetable oil - how much will be needed.

Cooking method:

• Divide the lamb loin into portions. Rub them with salt and pepper and put them in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
• Peel the onion, cut into small cubes or thin half rings.
• Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, cut into small cubes or slices. The form of chopping vegetables is not significant, since as a result of prolonged stewing they will turn into a sauce.
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, fry the onion in it until caramelized, transfer to a plate.
• Turn up the heat. Place the pieces of loin on a hot frying pan and fry them until golden brown.
• Reduce heat, place onions and tomatoes on the meat, and place rosemary sprigs on top.
• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the lamb for 40-50 minutes (depending on the age of the animal it belonged to).

Remove the rosemary sprigs, place the lamb on plates, add a side dish and pour over the sauce in which the meat was stewed.

Recipe in the oven

The easiest and fastest way to get a delicious dish is, of course, baking in the oven. Preparation requires a minimum of labor with excellent results.

To make sure of this, you need:

• 1 kg of main product;
• a stack of vegetable oil;
• 2 times less lemon juice;
• thyme, thyme, rosemary, ground pepper and salt (to taste).

Sequence of steps:

1. The rack is freed from films and divided into pieces; if desired, part of the meat carcass can be left whole.
2. The processed product is laid out on a baking sheet.
3. All seasonings, salt, vegetable oil and lemon juice are mixed in a bowl.
4. The rack is poured with a fragrant composition and kept for 30 minutes. At this time, the oven is preheated to 240 °C.
5. The dish is baked for a quarter of an hour.

Rack of lamb can be served with homemade tomato sauce or satsebeli - an amazing Georgian seasoning.

Recipes for rack of lamb dishes

Appetizing rack of lamb in delicate breading

Ingredients:
fresh rack of lamb 650 g mustard 3 tbsp. spoons walnuts 330 g pepper, salt and rosemary to your taste garlic 3 pcs. a little vegetable oil

For the flavorful sauce:

beef broth 360 ml shallots 2 pcs. butter 70 g dried cranberries 180 g red wine 140 ml

How to cook breaded rack of lamb:

1. Rinse the meat, cut into medium pieces. Pour a small amount of oil into the frying pan. Fry the pieces over medium heat for about 4 minutes.
2. Prepare the nut coating. In a separate plate, chop the nuts (peel them from the shells), finely chop the garlic and add fragrant rosemary.
3. Mix thoroughly, add olive oil, salt and pepper, stir again.
4. Prepare a flavorful sauce. Place cranberries in the broth, add chopped onions, and pour in wine. Stir, place over low heat, and bring to a full boil.
5. Cook for 10 minutes until everything thickens thoroughly. Gently brush the meat with mustard. Then begin breading the meat in the nut mixture.
6. Then wrap it in film and put it in the refrigerator for 35 minutes. Grease a baking sheet with oil and place the rack of lamb there.
7. Preheat the oven to 190°C, place the meat there, bake for 25 minutes. Pour the sauce over the finished dish and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Juicy rack of lamb in the oven
Ingredients:
fresh rack of lamb 1.5 kg vegetable oil 80 ml aromatic lemon juice 70 ml pepper, salt, thyme to your taste

For the flavorful sauce:

dry table red wine 520 ml garlic 3 pcs. fragrant rosemary 8 g butter 60 g

How to cook rack of lamb in the oven:

1. Rinse the lamb rack, divide it into medium pieces and place in a deep bowl. Prepare a flavorful marinade.
2. Mix in a separate plate: lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt, add chopped thyme.
3. Beat the meat, rub the prepared mixture into it, leave to marinate for 40 minutes, then fry in a dry frying pan.
4. Then put everything into a special form and put it in the oven. Preheat it to 190°C. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Prepare the sauce. Melt butter in a frying pan. Fry chopped garlic (peel it first) and fragrant rosemary, pour in the wine.
6. Stir, bring to a full boil, strain and cook for another 35 minutes over low heat. Before serving, pour the sauce over the dish.

Juicy grilled rack of lamb

Ingredients:
tender rack of lamb 550 g table white wine 60 ml soy sauce 70 ml fragrant rosemary 8 g vegetable oil 60 ml pepper, salt to taste

How to cook rack of lamb on the grill:

1. Wash the rack of lamb, cut into medium-sized pieces, place them in a deep plate. Rub the meat with salt, chopped rosemary, season with pepper, pour soy sauce and white wine on top.
2. Place the meat in the refrigerator for 3.5 hours. After the time has passed, take it out and brush it with olive oil. Grill on an electric grill for approximately 10 minutes at 240°C.

Bake in a frying pan

If you don’t have a grill or an oven, but you really want to cook a dish, you can use a standard frying pan. For this we need:

• lamb ribs - 1 kg;
• tomato sauce - 2 tsp;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• olive oil - 4 tsp;
• ground pepper - 1/2 tsp;
• spices as desired.

The proportions of ingredients are presented for preparing three servings of the dish. The amount of one or another ingredient can be increased or decreased depending on taste preferences:

• Mix mustard with tomato sauce, pepper, olive oil and salt.
• Cut the rack into small portions. Carefully coat each piece with the resulting mixture of mustard and butter.
• Leave the meat to marinate for 20 minutes. Generously grease the frying pan with oil and heat thoroughly.
• Place the rack of lamb on a hot frying pan and fry over high heat. Fry each side for no longer than 3 minutes. Cook over medium heat for a couple more minutes.

Now we have figured out what it is - rack of lamb, and how to cook it. Tender meat is an excellent gourmet dish for a family or holiday dinner. To maximize the taste of lamb, you can add various aromatic additives. For example, it goes perfectly with thyme and rosemary. Herbs such as saffron, mint, ginger root, both in dry and fresh form, will not be superfluous. Just don’t overdo it with adding spices - two seasonings will be enough.

Surprise your loved ones - cook rack of lamb!

Cooking features

• They try to fry the loin of a young lamb over coals, since the meat of a young animal is tender, soft, cooks quickly and is almost completely devoid of the specific smell of lamb, which not everyone likes.
• Connoisseurs of Caucasian cooking choose fatty lamb for barbecue. It turns out especially juicy and tasty, and the fat is almost completely rendered out while cooking the ribs on the grill.
• Gourmets prefer to grill fresh lamb that has never been frozen. However, kebabs or barbecue can also be made from frozen brisket. It is important to defrost it correctly. Proper thawing involves thawing meat under natural conditions, without sudden temperature changes. An attempt to speed up the defrosting process using a microwave or warm water will result in the lamb losing a lot of liquid, which will negatively affect the organoleptic qualities of the kebab prepared from it.
• If you plan to grill a loin of very young lamb, it is not necessary to marinate it beforehand. However, such meat will also have to be marinated if it was previously frozen. The loin of an adult lamb is always marinated.
• The time for marinating lamb loin depends on the age of the animal to which it belonged, as well as on the composition of the marinade. Usually 3-4 hours is enough, but sometimes the meat needs to be left in the marinade overnight.
• If you plan to marinate the meat for more than 2 hours, do not add salt to the marinade, otherwise it will draw juice out of the meat and the loin will become dry.
• Before marinating, the loin must be cut into portions so that each contains 1 bone. You also need to rinse the lamb well, trim off excess fat, and dry the pieces with paper towels.
• You cannot marinate meat in aluminum dishes. This material reacts with acids, forming harmful substances that can also give the meat an unpleasant metallic taste.
• A young lamb loin is fried over coals for 8-12 minutes. In order to fry the loin of an adult lamb, it may take 1.5-2 times longer. To prevent the snack from burning, it must be turned over periodically.

Serve grilled lamb loin with sauce, pickled onions or fresh vegetables. This dish goes perfectly with dry red wine.

Story

The recipe for rack of lamb has been known for a long time.
Since the development of cattle breeding, lamb has been highly valued for its taste. In the cookbooks of many countries you can find excellent recipes that immediately whet your appetite. It is believed that the word “caret” came into cooking from the military regulations of Ancient Rome. As warriors defended themselves in ranks with bayonets raised, perhaps their image and association with infantry inspired the cooks' triumphant recipe. Traditionally, this lamb tenderloin is cooked whole, without cutting into parts. Recipes are found in many cuisines of the world, adapted to the spices of the region - herbs and spicy additives. The dish looks incredibly festive! Rack of lamb recipe with photos - try to cook it step by step in your home kitchen, it will turn out excellent without exaggeration. More details on how to cook rack of lamb in the oven are described below.