# Oh how I love me some Lamb!?!



## TheFanatic (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm not sure what it is about lamb that I love so much.  Is it that I don't get it very often or is it just that good?  Is it that I love rosemary and it pairs perfectly with Lamb?  Is it that it goes so well with red wine?  Then again what doesn't go well with red wine!?!?!

So a couple of weeks ago I'm walking through Sam's and see french cut racks of lamb.  My mouth started watering right there.  I bought a two pack and started considering marinades.

Here are the two beauties waiting for a bath in a flavor infusing fluid:







I decided to marinade the two in two different ways.  The first marinade was inspired by an appetizer at a family party on the day after thanksgiving. There was a bowl of basil pesto next to a bowl of crusty bread. I enjoyed the pesto so much I used it. I didn't have any fresh basil so I used dried basil, marjoram, thyme, oregano, and some fresh rosemary in olive oil. Of course I added some minced garlic and white pepper (I was out of black pepper corns):

Here we have the pesto whisked up:






I realize it's not pure pesto as I didn't have any pine nuts but it worked.

For the other marinade I went even easier.  Honey mustard, fresh rosemary, garlic, white pepper, and a little red wine:

Quick note on the red wine I use in my marinades. First rule about wine in cooking - if you won't drink it, don't cook with it. Cooking sherry or cooking wine on the shelf at the grocery store should never be used in cooking. In this case I used some Red truck which is by no means the greatest wine out there, but is nice $10 wine. And in this case it may not even be red truck in the bottle. Whenever I don't finish a bottle of red, if there isn't enough left to put the vacuum pump on to to pull the air out and save for a couple of weeks in the fridge, I pour it into this bottle in the fridge specifically for marinading...

Back to the marinade.  The marinade itself does not look all that appetizing in the picture but trust me it was money:






I threw each rack into a ziplock with one of the two marinades and into the fridge for close to 24 hours.

The next day I pulled the racks out of the bags. For the mustard marinade I used the bag to pull some of it off so that when I added salt right before cooking it would actually contact the meat. I didn't want to rinse off the marinade but I didn't want it on as thick as it was. The Pesto marinade was oil based so I didn't have the same issue with that rack:






When I pulled the rack out that was in the pesto marinade it smelled so good I could've eaten it raw!?!?! It was incredible. I can almost smell it right now it was that memorable!?!

I sprinkled some coarse salt on both sides before putting on the grill as usual.

For the cooking method I did my standard two zone cooking. Hot coals on one side, no coals on the other side. I grilled them over high heat (no flame job this time like I do with steaks). Here we have them meat side down to start. One was thicker than the other so I put that on a little before the other one but here they are together on the grill:






Then I flipped them and put them bone side down once they got a decent sear:






The one on the bottom left is the mustard marinade. It is going to char more than the other due to the honey in the mustard. Don't let that scare you.

If you notice I kept the bones away from the heat and the thicker meaty section over the hottest part of the fire. I didn't want to overcook the skinnier section of meat higher up the rack.

Once they seared well on each side I pulled them to the side with no heat. They were still incredibly rare at this point. I locked down the grill and left them to bake for 5 minutes:

After 5 minutes they were still incredibly rare so I left them on for another 5 minutes. Had this been a warm summer evening and not a chilly windy evening in late November I would guess that 6-7 minutes would be all that was necessary. In this case they baked for just over 10 minutes before I pulled them off the grill to rest.

I let them rest for about 4 minutes. I basically treated them like a steak. The thickest part was more than an inch thick and with a steak that thick I would've rested it about that long as well. Here they are plated, 4 chops from each type:






A couple of notes. First, I tried to accommodate for one of the racks being thinner than the other, but the thinner cooked a little faster than I had planned as you can see with the chops on the right not being as red. That being said both were _very_ tender and juicy.  I guess that is part of the allure of the lamb.

Second, despite letting them rest the juice of the lamb leaked all over the place. I mean everywhere yet the meat was still very juicy on the last bone as it was on the first. And as you can see I ate every last bone. Notice the juice all over the cutting board, even filling part of the groove that encircles the board:






And finally, I will say that after a very extensive taste test between the two that I enjoyed immensely the mustard marinade was the better marinade but just slightly so. Something about the sweetness of the rosemary and the subtle sweetness of the honey mustard made the lamb just incredible. I may be doing this again next weekend!?!?!


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## sattie (Dec 9, 2008)

Looks good.  I love lamb myself.


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## pdswife (Dec 9, 2008)

Yummmmmy
Yummmmmmy!!!


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## deelady (Dec 9, 2008)

Ooooohhh PLEASE adopt me!!!!  Looks heavenly!!


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## TheFanatic (Dec 9, 2008)

deelady said:


> Ooooohhh PLEASE adopt me!!!!  Looks heavenly!!



That can be arranged.  Send me some pics.  The racier the pics the faster the adoption process!?!?!?!

As for the lamb, it was so easy to make.  I seriously need to do this again and soon....That lamb was so friggin good...


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## deelady (Dec 9, 2008)

ha ha very funny.....but I forgot to mention I come with a fiance and a one yr old!! 

Someone posted a leg of lamb thread the other day and since I have been craving lamb!!


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## TheFanatic (Dec 9, 2008)

deelady said:


> ha ha very funny.....but I forgot to mention I come with a fiance and a one yr old!!
> 
> Someone posted a leg of lamb thread the other day and since I have been craving lamb!!




I don't mind if they don't!?!?!

Leg of lamb is delicious as well, but they don't compare to the french cut lamb chops.  

Having done lamb a few times I know this that the marinade makes the meat.  Lamb must be marinaded.  It is already very tender so avoid acidic marinades or it will turn into mush.  Flank steak and brisket can be marinaded in say coke, Worcestershire, and garlic, but not lamb.  Stick with oil or mustard marinades.


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## deelady (Dec 9, 2008)

Hmmm....pretty sure they'd mind! 

why not a lemon and olive oil marinade??I love it when the meat is fork tender....is that considered mush to you??


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## pacanis (Dec 9, 2008)

Now if that isn't food por.... OK, I won't say it 

Very "tastefully" done Fan.
I've never even had lamb (pretty much). I couldn't stand the smell of my mother cooking (frying) lamb chops as I was growing up, but those pics... Oh yeah, babe. I see lamb in my future. If I can find a rack around here like that.

Excellent


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## TheFanatic (Dec 9, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Now if that isn't food por.... OK, I won't say it
> 
> Very "tastefully" done Fan.
> I've never even had lamb (pretty much). I couldn't stand the smell of my mother cooking (frying) lamb chops as I was growing up, but those pics... Oh yeah, babe. I see lamb in my future. If I can find a rack around here like that.
> ...



Both Sam's and Costco carry them as of late.  The stuff is friggin awesome.  And the pesto, marinade smelled so good I could've eaten the lamb raw!?!?!


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## TheFanatic (Dec 9, 2008)

deelady said:


> Hmmm....pretty sure they'd mind!
> 
> why not a lemon and olive oil marinade??I love it when the meat is fork tender....is that considered mush to you??



You still need a knife for this.  Not exactly sure what fork tender means.  But Lamb is like an red meat.  Even the rarest steak will require a sharp knife.  

As for lemon, there is a problem there.  Remember when I said avoid acidic marinades for lamb?  Lemon juice is about as acidic as it comes.  It will actually cook the lamb.  That's how they make serviche.  Throw in some lime juice with some fish, in a few hours the fish is cooked.  

Lemon could be added at the end right before being put on the grill though to add that flavor you are looking for.  Add an extra little Mediterranean kick...


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