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Roasted Rack of Lamb with Apricot Mustard Sauce

Four lamb chops cooked rare sitting on a white plate with a bundle of thyme next to it. Two partial racks of lambs are in the background with a bowl of apricot mustard sauce.
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5 from 4 reviews

Two racks of lamb smothered with an apricot mustard sauce stand wonderfully together while interlocked into a gorgeous presentation for any Holiday table. 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 just about fork-tender in its finish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Racks of Lamb (approximately 1 1/2 pound each)
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup Apricot Preserves
  • 1/2 cup Stone Ground Mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme, chopped
  • 4 large Cloves of Garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  • Remove the racks of lamb from the refrigerator. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
  • Blot the racks of lamb with a paper towel to remove excess moisture from the outside of the lamb.
  • Season both sides of the racks with salt and pepper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, stone ground mustard, thyme and garlic.
  • Spoon and spread a portion of the apricot mustard glaze on both sides of the racks just until covered. The remaining glaze will be applied during the cooking process.
  • Let the lamb sit out for one hour with the marinade until it comes to room temperature.
  • Stand the racks up with the meaty portion outward while interlocking the bones.
  • Before going in the oven, spoon on a third of the remaining glaze. Cook for five minutes and spoon on another third of the glaze. Cook for another five minutes and spoon on the last of the apricot mustard glaze.
  • Cook for a total of 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 120°F for a rare piece of meat. 25 minutes for medium-rare or 125°F. 30 minutes for medium or 130°F.
  • Spoon the excess glaze that has run off the meat into a small serving bowl.
  • Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • With a carving knife, slice downward with long strokes while holding two of the bones together. Each serving should have two bones along with the meaty portion.
  • Serve the lamb with the apricot mustard sauce.

Notes

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 takes a bland piece of meat and adds another dimension of flavor.
  • A glaze is normally thicker and richer in sugar than a baste. Glazing meat will give it a beautiful caramelization and add luscious flavor while creating a beautiful shine to the finished product.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Don't be alarmed if the glaze runs off the meat and onto the parchment paper while cooking. You're going to use that as a side condiment for the lamb chops when you serve them.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://lingeralittle.com/roasted-racks-of-lamb/