Rack of Lamb

21 09 2007

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I think most people get overwhelmed by complex recipes and unfamiliar ingredients. This recipe is the cure for both. It uses a little used main ingredient (rack of lamb) and the preparation is as simple as it gets.

This is essentially a 2 ingredient recipe: lamb and rosemary. The pairing is perfect. You can’t get any more elegant than this dish. In many restaurants this is a signature dish. It takes 2 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. If you are trying to impress, then you should definitely try this out.

Notice there isn’t a lot of nonsense to overpower the lamb. The lamb has a ton of flavor on it’s own. I recommend simple robust sides to accompany the dish. Check out the roasted Brussels sprouts recipe I did to accompany this dish.

The lamb is not cheap so you might as well make it a splurge meal. A great bottle of Shiraz is called for here, the lamb screams for it.

Note: DO NOT OVER COOK. LAMB COOKED OVER ABOUT 125F IS TERRIBLE. I don’t know why exactly, but no other meat tastes so bad when over cooked.

Ingredients:
1 8 rib rack of lamb
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees.

2. Coat rack of lamb with olive oil.
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3. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle rosemary all over fat side and rub into the oil so the oil coats the rosemary well.
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5. Place a cooling rack on a large cookie sheet.

6. Place lamb, fat side up on the cooling rack.

7. Roast at 450F degrees for about 20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 125F degrees.
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8. Remove from oven and rest 5 minutes.
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9. Cut lamb into single chops and arrange four on each plate.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

21 09 2007

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Ingredients:
12 large Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
6 quartered fingerling or baby potatoes (optional)
1 leek or medium onion sliced thin
4 cloves of sliced garlic
4 slices of bacon cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut veggies and slice bacon
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2. Combine all ingredients in a 9×12 oven safe dish (I line with foil to ease cleaning).
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3. Roast in a 450F degree oven for 45 minutes.
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4. Remove from oven and serve.
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