296053 Sun Feb 08 18:28:58 -0800 2004 8 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1629456 Looking into making my first rack of lamb. Looking for any preparation advice as well as easy/pleasing side dishes. I plan on using a recipe I found on epicurious for mustard and herb crusted rack of lamb that looks pretty straight forward. What are your tips for a first timer?? Cooking for 4 people. THANKS! chowfreak Sun Feb 08 18:28:58 -0800 2004 0 chowfreak 1 1629482 Here are some thoughts on preparation - first, be sure your butcher cuts the rack so that the individual chops will be easily detached after cooking. Most of the time that's the case, but if not it can be a bit of a struggle. Then, I much prefer to aggressively trim, or French the rack, removing all but the very eye - it may look like you're removing a great deal of meat, but it's mostly fat. That leaves you with chops that consist of a small round piece of meat attached to a rather long rib bone and it looks elegant on the plate. If you're not good with the boning knife you can have the butcher do it for you, but there's a great deal of satisfaction to doing it yourself and it's really not difficult. Finally (maybe this should have been first), remember that a rack is really a very small piece of meat and it's very easy to overcook it so if you like your lamb rare don't be afraid to stop a bit sooner than you might think. Mon Feb 09 08:01:22 -0800 2004 1629456 0 FlyFish 2 1629492 The recipe of bread crumbs and mustard is a fairly standard one- Union Square café cookbook has a great recipe. I have made racks this way, but personally I believe that lamb has great flavor on its own-no need for a plaster of breadcrumbs. As for frenching and trimming the fat, do have the fat/meat on the rib bones trimmed down but I wouldn't be too aggressive in trimming all the fat, maybe I'm decadent but I enjoy the wedge of fat above the eye and don't think that it detracts from the presentation at all. I also want to emphasize that it is easy to over cook a rack- rare/medium rare is ideal- use a meat thermometer and let the rack rest 5-10 min before cutting and serving, what size is your rack? The ones I get are 1.5 lbs, which takes 22 min at 425 in my oven and I figure 3 ribs per person. As for sides, funny I was going to post the same question, I'm planning on cooking a rack for my sweetie for Valentine's dinner. The usual sides that I do are wild mushroom risotto and blanched green beans or asparagus, but I want to try something new for this weekend. Phil Mon Feb 09 11:48:01 -0800 2004 1629482 0 Phillip J 3 1629557 I make rack of lamb all the time. It's regular weeknight fare at our house. Yummmm. Sides can vary, but a favorite at our house is halved/quartered (depending on the size) red new potatoes, tossed in olive oil with salt and pepper, roasted for about 20 minutes in a 375 oven, then toss in a head's worth of cauliflower florets, with rough-chopped garlic (also tossed in olive oil). Roast until the potatoes are done, and the cauliflower has browned a bit -- at least another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven (I use a half sheet pan fitted with a silpat -- nothing sticks and super-easy cleanup) and pour into a bowl. Toss with some black truffle oil if you have it. Really compliments the lamb, and is a veggie and a starch in one. Mon Feb 09 15:35:40 -0800 2004 1629492 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1629575 Care to post a recipe for your wild mushroom risotto?? Mon Feb 09 16:53:26 -0800 2004 1629492 0 chowfreak 4 1629643 Happy to! this is based on Craig Claiborne's basic risotto recipe 6 tb butter half cup chopped onions 2 garlic cloves minced 2 cups arborio rice- essential that it's arborio rice 5-6 cups chicken stock-heated and kept at a simmer half cup white wine half cup parmesan cheese 1/2 pound of assorted mushrooms- porcini, portabello, whatever i can get at the farmers market saute the mushrooms in 2 tbs butter-set aside saute onions and garlic in 2 tb butter add rice, stir to coat the grains add the wine- stirring occasionally until all wine has evaporated add 1 cup stock, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed add 1/2 cup more of stock, again stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed continue cooking and adding 1/2 cup stock in this manner every 3-5 mins- make sure the rice cooks gently when all the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente- about 25 mins- fold in the remaining butter, cheese and sauted mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. serve immediately Enjoy! Mon Feb 09 22:55:21 -0800 2004 1629575 0 Phillip J 1 1629543 Ever since I discovered the Australian rack of lamb at Costco, I've made it frequently. For a family dinner, I simply trim the surface fat and season the racks with garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and some dijon mustard. In mild weather, I toss the lamb on the grill, otherwise I roast it in a hot oven (425 degrees). Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking, and let sit a bit before carving. Mon Feb 09 14:52:03 -0800 2004 1629456 0 DS 1 1629559 I think tomatoes and artichokes go well with lamb. Here's a link to a recipe you could think about. Spinach is another possibility -- either sauteed or creamed. Wild rice pilaf with leeks, carrots and mushrooms also is nice with lamb. Link: http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=104799&kw=artichoke+and+tomato&action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-results.hts&keyword=artichoke+and+tomato&queryType=and Mon Feb 09 15:42:25 -0800 2004 1629456 0 GretchenS 1 1629573 I love herb coated mustard on lamb... a nice addition to the coating would be some chopped fresh shallots. Mon Feb 09 16:45:25 -0800 2004 1629456 0 TrishUntrapped