I'm just going to tell you right away that this is not your grandmother's traditional Passover lamb. I'm not a real fan of most traditional herbs, especially when it comes to fennel and rosemary, so... I thought I'd work up a nice chimichurri sauce and lay this rack out on the BBQ pit!!
I must say, the results were unbelievable. I will no-longer wait for lamb to go on sale, post-Easter!
What You Will Need:
- 1 Bulb of Garlic
- 1 "Bunch" Cilantro or Italian Parsley
- 1 Strong blurb of Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 full rack of Lamb (2 blades of 8 bones each)
Begin with the chimichurri. Peal all of the garlic cloves from the bulb, and smash each of them under your knife. Add a healthy pinch of salt to the garlic pile, and dice, smear, and mash the garlic into a chunky paste. Chop the greens and put them both into a bowl.
Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic and herb, and stir in the spices. It should be as thick as mud, and you should be able to spread it like butter.
Now, turn your attention to the lamb. There's a fat-cap on them. Some will tell you that "Fat means Flavor" and that you should leave them on. While I usually agree with that, in this case I don't. There's a LOT of fat here, and not much meat. I'd rather marinate the meat and enjoy it. The alternative (marinating the fat and trying to chew through THAT) isn't as attractive.
SO, put on a glove and clean this thing up! Literally, grab a corner of the fat cap and peel it off. This is super easy to do, just be prepared to assist the removal with a sharp filet knife.
Once the cap is gone, have a look at the silver-skin. Slide the tip of your filet knife under it. Now, pull the skin with one hand, while you shave it off of the meat with the other. You may need to shave several pieces of it to get it all.
Here's a pic of the two halves of the rack, one with the fat cap, and the other fully prepped and ready for the marinade. Think less of the cute little lambie frolicking around the barnyard, and more about the tasty meal you're about to present! It helps if you take the time to pour and enjoy an adult beverage during the prep. I suggest a Pino Noir, or some good Bourbon!
When the rack is prepped, spread the chimichurri sauce all over it. Use gloves, or your hands will smell like garlic for the rest of the day. They may even smell like garlic into the night, where they'll wake you up when you roll over and mash your nose into your fingers.
Ok you know how they say, when it's time to marinate something, that "At least an hour, but overnight is best?" In this case, I would
strongly recommend that you marinade this for at LEAST 8 hours if you can't do it overnight. Why? Well, the salt and the garlic oils are definitely going to penetrate this piece of meat, but they're not going to do it quickly. Trust me on this, put the lamb into a bag, squeeze as much air out as possible, park it in the fridge, and walk away! It will still be there later...
Prep? CHECK
Marinate? CHECK
The rest is EASY! Gently slide a temperature probe into the thickest part of the loin, and stand the rack up in a smoker, or anywhere away from the direct heat. Bring your pit or your oven up to about 275, close the lid, and leave them alone until they touch 128 degrees. Yes, 128. Then pull them off, and cover them with foil, and watch the temperature continue to climb up to 135 or so.
When the temp stabilizes, it's time for the slicin! Carefully slice the portions between the bones. Personally, I like to serve them atop a small mountain of garlic mashed potatoes, seasoned with the juice from the rack!
