Roast Rack of Lamb with Apricot Mustard Glaze

Roast Rack of Lamb is smothered with an apricot mustard glaze and stands beautifully together while interlocked into a gorgeous presentation for any special occasion. The sauce is extremely simple but the flavor it adds to the lamb is absolutely exquisite. This entrée is both impressive in its display and fork-tender in its finish.

Roast Rack of Lamb is an Easy Recipe

I’ve always thought cooking racks of lamb to be a daunting task. The thought of preparing it actually caused me some trepidation. A friend of mine has cooked racks of lamb for years and simply brushes on dijon mustard. And honestly, every time I’ve eaten hers, it’s been absolutely fabulous. I can’t tell you how many times she’s told me that lamb is one of the easiest meats to prepare.  So recently I determined to face my intimidation and just go for it. Another super easy lamb recipe is this Boneless Leg of Lamb. 

I love fruit and meat together. And two of my favorite recipes are Fruit Stuff Pork and Apricot Glazed Stuffed Cornish Hens. So I began a journey to find out if apricot would work with lamb. There is a book titled “The Flavor Thesaurus” that gives ideas of what flavors work really well together. And guess what? You got it, apricot joins nicely with lamb.

Why I Love this Roasted Rack of Lamb with Apricot Mustard Sauce

An impressive entreé that is in and out of the oven in 20 minutes! You would not believe how easy this recipe is and how quickly it comes together. It’s honestly one of the most effortless entrées that I now have in my repertoire of recipes.

A simple sauce that is so flavorful with both a sweet and a pungent combination. This sauce compliments the lamb so amazingly, you will think they were made for each other. And literally, in two minutes you can have it whipped up and ready to glaze your lamb.

As stated before, the presentation is gorgeous. Your family or guests will think of you as a gourmet chef with this beauty sitting on your table. It’s a stunning centerpiece for any special occasion or holiday.

This lamb is cooked to a succulent tenderness that you could almost cut with a fork. In our family, we prefer our lamb cooked rare so when you cut between the bones and plate it, you have this magnificent bright red center that is cooked to exactness. And this baby is so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. You can find other cooking times below.

Purchasing the Racks of Lamb

When choosing racks of lamb, you want to pick out those that are Frenched, which means the meat has been scraped off the tips of the bones. It makes for a beautiful display when cooked. I purchased my racks of lamb already Frenched but you can always ask your butcher to French them for you if you purchase at the meat counter. Also, ask them to leave about an 1/8 of an inch of fat on the meat.

Letting the Lamb Sit to Room Temperature

Take the lamb out of the refrigerator an hour before you’re ready to put it in the oven so that it can come to room temperature. This helps to ensure the meat is cooked evenly through. (A note: Salt and pepper the meat along with glazing it while it is sitting out for that hour.)

Blotting with Paper Towels

Before adding anything to your lamb, lay the racks out and pat them dry with paper towels on both sides. Be careful not to press hard on the meat. You don’t want to squeeze out its own natural juices. Just blot to remove the excess of moisture from the outside.

Preparing the Apricot Mustard Glaze

In my opinion, the apricot mustard glaze/sauce is what makes this whole dish pop. Four ingredients bring this simple condiment together with an explosion of flavor; stone ground mustard, apricot preserves, minced garlic and chopped thyme. I love SIMPLE, and this dish does not disappoint!

Seasoning (Salt and Pepper) for Added Depth of Flavor

Once you remove the lamb from the refrigerator and pat them dry, generously season both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. The salt and pepper take a bland piece of meat and adds another dimension of flavor. The salt also draws out the meat’s natural juices and within that hour of sitting will pull those juices back into it for meat that is more juicy and tender. It’s like magic.

Glazing the Lamb for Roast Rack of Lamb

A glaze is normally thicker and richer in sugar than a baste. Glazing meat will give it a beautiful caramelization and add a luscious flavor while creating a beautiful shine to the finished product.

I stood the racks up and interlocked their bones before I started glazing. The only problem with this is that a lot of the glaze ran off while I was letting it sit to room temperature. So I ended up having to constantly spoon more glaze on the meat to make sure the meat was fully marinated.

This is what I would recommend. Do not initially interlock the bones. Lay them flat on a large cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon and spread enough glaze to cover both sides of the lamb and continue to let it sit to room temperature for the full hour. This adds additional flavor to the meat while sitting. The remaining glaze will be used during the cooking process.

Cooking the Roast Rack of Lamb

Once you’re ready to put the lamb in the oven, stand the racks upright and interlock their bones with the meaty portion on the outside. I used a shallow stoneware pan and lined it with parchment paper to catch all the glaze that runs off during the cooking process.

Internal Temperatures and Times

The key to perfectly cooked lamb is to roast it at a high temperature (450°F) in a short amount of time. We go for “rare” around our house, so I pulled out the lamb at exactly 20 minutes and the internal temperature was 125°F. Awwww … perfect!

If you want medium-rare, look for the temperature to be 130°F, about 25 minutes and medium to be 135°F, about 30 minutes I don’t recommend going to a higher internal temperature for lamb than this, but if for instance, you desperately want it to be medium-well it should be between 155-165°F.

Spoon Additional Glaze while Cooking

Spoon a third of the remaining glaze on the outside of the meat right before it goes in the oven.  Five minutes after it has been cooking spread another third of the glaze after about five minutes in the oven and let it continue to cook. After five more minutes spoon on the last bit of glaze.

Don’t be alarmed if it runs off the meat and onto the parchment paper. You’re going to use that as a side condiment for the lamb chops when you serve them. I guarantee that this sauce will be the crowning achievement of this dish.

Letting the Meat Rest

Once the lamb is removed from the oven, remove it from the hot pan and place it on a cutting board. Cover it with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes. This is called “resting” and allows the juices to be set into the meat which makes way for juicier and tastier lamb chops. Otherwise, If you cut into it too soon, much of the juices run out.

Carving the Roast Rack of Lamb

Each serving is two bones with their meaty portions. So to carve the racks of lamb, hold the ends of two rib bones upright, and with a carving knife, slice between the bone using a sawing motion with long strokes. If you’re having trouble cutting through the bones at the bottom, just wiggle your knife a little and it should cut right through.

So here it is, you guys, me conquering my fear of a Roast Rack of Lamb recipe. I’m pretty impressed with myself (wink, wink). Well, not really, because this entrée as dazzling as it is, was like child’s play to cook. I would love for you to try it and let me know what you think by commenting below.

If you would like to try other elegant entrées that will impress your friends and family, click on the links below.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Herbed Crown Roast of Pork

Apricot Glazed Stuffed Cornish Hens

Frust Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

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