11 Apr Juicy and Delicious Grilled Rack of Lamb
I always was somehow intimidated about cooking lamb. First of all, it wasn’t my favorite type of meat. Secondly, I always thought of it as a fancy dish which requires a lot of skills and preparations to cook. But now I can tell that my perspective has dramatically changed. As I grew older, and hopefully wiser, I started to appreciate the unique and sophisticated flavor of good quality lamb especially with a glass of well-balanced Merlot or Malbec. However, I still wasn’t prepared to cook it at home. Only after my friends showed me how to properly grill rack of lamb, using only basic spices, I decided it’s time to conquer my fear and finally cook some kick-ass lamb chops.
The credit for this amazingly simple, but incredibly delicious and juicy lamb chops goes to our Australian friend Boria. After trying this dish, I was ready to eat lamb every day for lunch and dinner. The best thing about this recipe is you don’t need to marinate the meat in advance. Just rub it with salt, pepper, and dried rosemary and put on a hot grill. Yes, it’s that simple. The main secret here is not to overcook the meat. Making it well done will ultimately ruin the tender texture and delicate flavor, which equals to committing a cooking crime. To avoid that you absolutely have to have a decent meat thermometer.
Everyone has a different grill, and it’s just impossible to create a universal meat grilling guide. The only parameter we can control for sure is meat temperature. For this particular recipe, we’re looking for 130 F, which is on the rare side. Then we need to transfer it to a cutting board and cover with foil to let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time the meat will continue to cook, and the temperature will increase to 135-138 F, which is approximately medium-rare doneness. That’s exactly what we’re looking for! When you cut the meat, it will be very tender, pink, and juicy.
TIP: For this dish, New Zealand lamb will be a perfect choice. You can buy it from your local Costco or Trader Joes.
I would be very happy if you decided to make this lamb a part of your Easter meal, I’m sure your guests will like it a lot. To keep this dish simple and rustic I suggest serving it with very traditional side dishes – Roasted Carrot and Roasted Hasselback Potatoe. To add a finishing touch pair it with your favorite medium-bodied red wine and enjoy your holiday dinner.
Grilled Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- frenched lamb rack – 3 lb. fat trimmed
- kosher salt – 2 teaspoons
- freshly ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon
- dry rosemary – 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 350 F.
- Rub the lamb with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Grill on both sides until slightly browned, approximately 10 minutes per side or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130 degrees.
- Remove the lamb from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice the lamb in between the bones and serve right away.
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