Until this past Easter, I had never prepared a rack of lamb because I was afraid. Not that I’m afraid of cute barn animals or of straying like a vegan might have concern, but I was afraid that I would waste all kinds of time and money and disappoint my brunch guests. I was afraid to fail preparing natural lamb, Colorado-raised lamb, in my own kitchen. In the back of my mind then, as I planned my menu, I strategized a Plan B just in case my mail order lamb didn’t turn out like I had planned.
I was intent on making something special for this Easter Brunch, something other than ham and eggs, something to delight my children and guests. Lamb was the one thing I hadn’t tried before, but armed with my recipe from a cookbook with great photography (that’s how we neophyte chefs assess a recipe as worthy), I scoured the grocery store for the ingredients I needed to make my Colorado lamb the centerpiece of the day’s entertainment.
Hours later, it took three trips from the car to transport my goods to the house. Many more hours later, I had made the homemade rolls and set the table. I’d been to the liquor store and borrowed heaps of serving pieces from my mother. It was nearly 5 a.m. by the time I’d fussed enough over everything to be ready for brunch the next morning. Knowing that I’d sleep right through any alarm, I vowed to stay up and keep on ticking. It wasn’t until I accidently locked myself out of the house on a last minute run to the grocery store that I realized I was not thinking clearly. The keys were inside; I was outside. I called my grown children’s homes using the cell phone reserved for work. No one answered. I called again and again. No answer. No answer. Brunch was due to start in one hour.
Thankfully, my employee answered my call and drove to my house to unlock my door.
The lamb was a huge hit, its savory scent filled the room, and while I’d doubled up on the quantity because I’m the type that always wants too much food on a brunch line rather than to run out of everything, every bit of my Colorado rack of lamb was eaten. The compliments, too, were all about the lamb. No one mentioned the vegetable tray, or the Eggs Benedict. No one asked for seconds on cupcakes from the hottest new bakery in town. The basket of homemade rolls never emptied out entirely; but the natural rack of lamb did.
And at the end of a long afternoon of tidying up, I vowed, I’m not waiting until next Easter to order another rack of lamb from Summit Creek Lamb. This Colorado-grown lamb was spectacular, succulent, savory.
Try my recipe, and see if you don’t agree:
2 racks of lamb (6 or 7 ribs each), trimmed
Of course, offer mint jelly as a garnish for this recipe. Some guests prefer natural Colorado lamb without the jelly, so let guests serve themselves in the buffet line. This mail order lamb from Summit Creek Lamb turned out to be the best Easter brunch I had ever prepared or for that matter better than any I’ve been to…even in a restaurant! And most importantly, my family loved it, loved it, loved it.
Posted in Colorado Lamb, Preparing Lamb, Rack of Lamb, Recipe, Serving TipsLamb can be prepared in many interesting ways as the attached video from the 2006 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen shows. In the video, we watch Chef Wolfgang Puck preparing Colorado rack of lamb. He uses some interesting ingredients, such as soy sauce, ginger and honey in addition to some other more common lamb seasoning ingredients to give the rack of lamb unique flavor appeal. He points out that soy sauce when used in a marinade tenderizes meat. Note, however, that with Summit Creek Natural Lamb, the rack of lamb is already quite tender due to the grain ration the lamb receives prior to going to market. This grain ration also tends to impart a mild flavor to the meat. Chef Puck browns the meaty side of the rack at high temperature in a skillet before roasting in the oven. This tends to seal in the juices and give the meat an appetizing exterior color. Note that Chef Puck says to let the rack “rest” before serving (so be careful not to overcook it because it will continue to cook while resting). As you can see, the rack is cooked to a mouthwatering medium rare. Bon apetit! ( For your next party or special event, you can find Summit Creek Natural Lamb gift boxes available for delivery right to your door at www.summitcreeklamb.com.)
Posted in Preparing Lamb, Rack of Lamb, Serving Tips, VideoBy Gil Whiteley
Certified Wine Sommelier
The great thing about lamb is that is so versatile, you can pull almost any big red out of your cellar and open it, and the experience is different each time. Here are some can’t miss suggestions.
Kendall-Jackson 2004 Meritage Vintner’s Reserve: retail $12
McWilliams Hanwood Estate 2006 Shiraz: retail $12
2004 Ray’s Station Vineyards North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon: retail $15
2005 Martín Codáx “Ergo” Tempranillo Rioja: retail $15
2006 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: retail $22
Montevina Terra d’Oro Deaver Vineyard 100 year old vines 2004 Zinfandel: retail $30
2003 Terrabianca Campaccio Selezione 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 50% Sangiovese, Super Tuscan: retail $68
Clarendon Hills 2005 Syrah Bakers Gully: retail $70 NOTE: This is my favorite
Cignale 2003 Colli Della Toscana Centrale 90% Cab 10% Merlot: retail $110 - Wow!
Clarendon Hills 2005 Astralis Syrah: retail $350 – When only the best is called for.
Posted in Lamb and Wine, Serving Tips, SuggestionsQ. I am making a lamb dish for Labor Day weekend. I want something fresh and tasty to make for my family. What are some new lamb recipes?
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