I always used to think that rack of lamb was one of those super difficult to make recipes that should only be left for swanky restaurants…until I finally made one myself! At the start of the Covid-19 quarantine here in California, meat suddenly disappeared off of the shelves. Or at least the familiar to cook meats were. Not having many options, I decided to give rack of lamb a shot and picked one up. Around the same time, I also received a shipment of wine from a winery I’m a member of and to my surprise, they tossed in a satchel of homemade herbs de Provence! I instantly knew what I had to do.
Shockingly, I found this recipe super fast and easy, but you will absolutely need a meat thermometer! And if you’re looking for some awesome lamb at a great price, definitely check out Costco – I’ve been rather impressed. Shout out to Locke Vineyards and their awesome wines and treats! Check them out here. If you’re a fan of California wines, I highly recommend almost anything from the Calaveras region. Tasty stuff!
Salad Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb
- 2 tbsp. herbs de Provence
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups port wine
- 1 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
Directions
- Remove the rack of lamb and pat dry. Using a super sharp knife, score the fat in a 1/2 inch diamond pattern as shown below.
- Combine the herbs, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Evenly spread over the rack and let the meat come to room temperature, ~1-2 hours.
- While this is marinading combine the chicken stock and port in a small pan and start to reduce. You’ll want to reduce this until it is almost at syrup consistency. Time will vary depending on the size of pot used. Remove from heat once reduced.
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Once the meat has come to temperature, place the rack bone side down (fat up) on a foil-lined sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300˚F and cook another 10-20 minutes or until the thermometer reads 130-135˚F when stuck into the meaty portion. Remove from the oven and let rest.
- While the meat is resting, finish the reduction sauce by heating it on low if it has gotten cold. When warm (not hot), remove from the heat and toss in the cold butter. Mix until well combined with the sauce. Be careful to reheat as this may cause the sauce to break (butter will separate)
- Slice the rack between the bones and drizzle with sauce. Try not to drool before eating.