Lemon rack of lamb
- Preparation 15 min
- Refrigeration 30 min
- Cooking 25 min
- Servings 2 to 3
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍋 The rack of lamb I pull out when I have people over
I make it at Christmas, at Easter, or when I have friends I really love coming for dinner. Or when I want to treat myself, plain and simple: lamb is one of my favourite proteins. A rack of lamb costs a fortune (c’est cher en Jésus, as we say), so I don’t bring it out just any night. But the recipe itself is simple.
🧄 Lemon, honey, garlic and oregano, not too long
The rack is marinated in lemon, honey, garlic and oregano, with a little white wine. I don’t marinate it too long. I buy my rack French-trimmed: almost all the fat is taken off, so there’s nothing to fix.
Before the marinade touches the raw meat, I set a little fresh marinade aside in a small bowl. I pour it over the top when I serve.
🔥 Seared in a pan, finished in the oven
A nice golden crust in the pan, then the oven finishes the job. The honey doesn’t burn. What can go wrong is the cooking: an overcooked rack is going to be sad. I serve it with a salad, potatoes, oven-roasted maple glazed carrots, anything that’s good.
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🔪 Ask for a French-trimmed rack
The butcher takes off the fat and cleans the bones for you. I buy mine that way, with almost all the fat removed. That means less fat sputtering in the pan, and a rack that looks good on the plate without you touching it.
⏱️ Don’t marinate too long
Lemon and garlic work fast. Half an hour in the fridge is fine.
🥄 Fresh marinade for serving
Before you pour the marinade in the bag, set a little aside in a small bowl in the fridge. It hasn’t touched the raw meat, so you can pour it over the slices when you serve. It brings back the lemon and garlic, which fade in the cooking. And the marinade left in the bag? Nothing to do with it, throw it out.
🍯 The honey doesn’t burn
Don’t panic when you sear the meat in the hot pan: the honey doesn’t burn.
🌡️ The thermometer is your best insurance
One thing ruins a rack of lamb: overcooking. Then it’s going to be sad, and you’ll have paid a lot for nothing. Take it out of the oven at 130 °F (55 °C) for medium-rare, like in the recipe. Want it more done? Take it out at 135 °F (57 °C). It keeps cooking while it rests under the foil, so don’t let it go further in the oven. One rack or two, the cooking doesn’t change.
🔥 On the BBQ
Sear the meat, then finish it in the oven or over indirect heat, away from the direct flame.
✅ What to serve with my lemon rack of lamb
A salad, potatoes, oven-roasted maple glazed carrots (honey works too), anything that’s good. If you love lamb, also try my rack of lamb with salted herbs and mustard or my best lamb skewers with candied lemon.
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Ingredients
- 1 Quebec rack of lamb, French-trimmed
- The juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried oregano
- A thin drizzle of olive oil, for the pan
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Preparation
- Place the rack of lamb in a large resealable bag and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the rest of the marinade ingredients, season with salt and pepper. Before pouring into the bag, put a little of this fresh marinade in a small bowl and keep it in the fridge for serving. Pour the rest into the bag and reseal, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- Take the rack out of the bag and throw out the marinade left in the bag. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin drizzle of olive oil and brown the meat on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 °F (55 °C) for medium-rare. For a more done rack, take it out at 135 °F (57 °C). Place on a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice, pour the reserved marinade over the top and serve!
One rack gives 2 to 3 servings. If you make two, the cooking doesn’t change: you sear them and put them in the oven the same way.
Yes. Sear the rack, then finish it in the oven or over indirect heat, away from the direct flame.
130 °F (55 °C) for medium-rare, like in the recipe. For a more done rack, 135 °F (57 °C). The biggest risk is overcooking it.
I don’t marinate it too long: half an hour in the fridge is enough. Throw out the marinade left in the bag. Instead, keep a little fresh marinade, set aside before it touches the raw meat, to pour over the rack when you serve.
In the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Rack of lamb also freezes very well.
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