When you realize how simple it is to make a rack of lamb at home and how inexpensive it is compared to eating out, your favorite restaurant will be your home. For years this has been one of my go-to’s for entertaining, and it always impresses. Kids devour it, and adults always want the recipe. But it’s not just for a special meal on the weekend. Keep this dish in mind for an easy family dinner. It takes 5 minutes to prepare the rack of lamb and about 30 minutes to cook. While it is cooking, you can prepare a salad or warm soup for a first course and serve cheese and bread and fresh fruit for dessert. Your total meal prep time will be about 15 minutes.
The price of the lamb may seem expensive at first, but it isn’t when you calculate the price of the entire meal. Lamb, salad, soup, or some potatoes with fruit for dessert can be less than the price of carry-out—under $12 per person, depending on what else you serve. The cost of the lamb is around $8 per person, assuming two chops per person. You don’t need much when you balance this with a few other dishes, like salad, bread and cheese, and fruit.
If you have a little more time, you can roast potatoes or make French fries to go with the lamb. And a homemade Caesar salad is always the perfect complement.
Print1 rack of lamb
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme- or herbs de Provence
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the lamb in a roasting pan.
Rub the top of the rack of lamb with a drizzle of olive oil.
Chop the fresh rosemary or thyme or use dried herbs de Provence and sprinkle the herbs on top.
Add the salt and pepper.
Tip: If you are not opposed to cooking with tinfoil, lining the dish will make clean up easy.
Roast the lamb for 30 minutes for medium-rare. You can increase or decrease the time by 5 minutes. See the notes below for more details.
Allow it to sit for 10 - 15 minutes before slicing.
Slice between the ribs to serve the lamb.
Parsnip, celeriac purées, or carrot puree are excellent and simple side dish choices.
You may also like this equally simple version, Rack of Lamb with Mustard and Rosemary
Lamb is the most forgiving meat in that it does not become dried out if it is overcooked, so you don’t have to worry about overcooking it. Also note that the ends will be more well done than the center, giving you a variety of rare to more well done slices depending on how long you cook it.
The success of any dish starts with the quality of the ingredients. You can find a rack of lamb at your local butcher’s shop. I often buy lamb chops for this recipe at Costco. The brand is Rastelli's, and the price is very reasonable. Rastelli's is:
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