Garlic and Herb Crusted Lamb

Rack of lamb smeared in a compound butter made with lots of garlic and fresh herbs.

Lamb is one of my favorite proteins. For about 6 years, I lived as a pescatarian but would sneak lamb in for it’s high quality protein and source of iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. I took a trip to the Eastern Market (per usual) and stopped by one of my favorite vendors in Gratiot Central, Ronnie’s Meats. The butcher and I bonded over the fact that we both believe that buying a rack of lamb is way more enjoyable than buying chops for roasting like in this recipe. Lamb chops are nothing more than the chops or ribs separated from the whole rack. Because they are smaller portions of meat and thinner than a rack, they are delicate and are better seared than roasted. The section of meat comes from the lambs’ rib section, however the rack will include a section of the loin or midsection. Fun fact, if you tie two racks of lambs together, it is called a crown roast. Fancy!

This is such a simple lamb recipe, the only way you’ll mess it up is by overcooking, so be sure to keep a meat thermometer on hand! You know how I feel about these :) If you’re making this for dinner, be sure to check out my latest recipe for Parmesan and Mushroom risotto, a banger!

What You Need:

• 2lb rack of lamb, trim the fat or ask your butcher

• 1 head of Garlic, remove and peel cloves.

• ¼ cup fresh Rosemary Leaves, be sure to remove from stem.

• ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature.

• 1 half of lemon zest.

• Kosher Salt, to taste.

• Coarse Ground Black Pepper, to taste.

What to Do:

1. In a small food processor, add in the butter, garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest. Process until the garlic is chunky. If you’d like, you can process until the garlic is minced or smoother. I just prefer a more rustic feel.

2. Remove the lamb from the fridge and place on a roasting rack and season with salt & pepper. Smear the garlic and herb butter we created all over the lamb and let it sit and temper for 35 to 40 minutes. Remember to never leave food sitting out for longer than 2 hours or it will become vulnerable to food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella and Clostridium. No one wants natural Botox babe!

3. Preheat the oven to 450F degrees. Once the 35 to 40 minutes have passed, place the rack of lamb in the oven, preferably on the middle rack, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare temp (130-140F with a meat thermometer). Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving!

4. Eat up and don’t forget to tag @elle.thefoodie!