ROASTED COLORADO LAMB LOIN

There are many ways to cook a rack of lamb, but our favorite method uses a simple rub of oil followed by a sprinkling of salt and a quick sear on all sides to create a flavorful crust around the exterior while keeping a juicy pink and succulent center. We usually finish the lamb with a white wine and butter pan sauce and a light dusting of fennel pollen or fresh herbs we have on hand. Less is definitely more, as we want to fully enjoy the distinct flavors of the delicious lamb loin.

We love this dish any time of year, but it is definitely one of our returning features for Easter and holidays. Paired with a gratin, fingerling, or mashed potato and any vegetable, this meal is perfect for celebrations, dinner parties, or just a lovely date-night dinner for two.

ROASTED COLORADO LAMB LOIN

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Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ¾– 2 lbs Colorado* Rack of Lamb (loin trimmed)
• 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (plus more to lightly rub on meat)-Or use your favorite high-heat oil
• Sea Salt
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (divided)
• ½ Cup White Wine (dry, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.)
• Fennel Pollen to garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F

  *You can have your butcher trim the loin off the rack for you, or purchase a loin that has been previously carved off the rack, depending on your grocer. Clay likes to carve his own so he can use the bones for a sauce, or some stock.

  With a very sharp knife, carve the entire loin of the lamb away from the bone. Start with your knife at the top of the ribs holding the rack vertically and cutting downward and along the rib bones as a guide. Cut all the way down in long stroking motions to the chine bone, (thick spine bone at the base of the chop). Pulling the rib bones back, cut again along the chine bone to release the loin in one long intact piece away from the rib bone assembly.

  Next remove the large fat piece above the loin and discard. Also remove any silver skin on the outside of the loin to leave a nice fat-free tubular lamb loin for roasting. Let the meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to temper.
• Rub the lamb loin with avocado oil and season with salt all over. Using a heavy bottom oven-proof skillet or sauté pan large enough to fit the loin, place over high heat until very hot.

  Add the 1 Tbsp of avocado oil and let the oil heat until you see it shimmering in the pan.

  Add the seasoned lamb loin to the pan and sear on all sides, about 5-6 minutes, to get a nice crust and to seal in all the lamb’s lovely juices.

  Transfer the pan to the middle of the preheated oven and roast for 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from the oven and lift the meat out onto a warm platter and cover loosely. Let the lamb rest for at least 10 minutes.
• Return the pan to a large burner on the stove over high heat. When the residual juices and crusty bits in the pan start to sizzle add the wine to deglaze the pan, rubbing and releasing all of the bits stuck to the pan while reducing the wine by half. This should only take a couple of minutes so don’t walk away from it.

  Season the wine with salt. Pour in any juices that have collected in the platter holding your lamb loin. Then, turn off of the heat and incorporate the remainder of the butter into the wine reduction by continuously swirling the pan until the butter has melted and you are left with a nice luxurious sauce. ***Swirling the pan helps to emulsify the sauce which stirring tends not to achieve so well. Season with a little more salt and pepper as desired.
• To present, (having let the meat rest to reconstitute the juices), place the lamb on a cutting board and slice the meat on the bias against the grain in a nice size thickness to retain the juices.

  On heated plates, (preferably), transfer half the lamb loin to each plate pushing the pieces out to make a nice display of the doneness and spoon over the butter pan sauce. Sprinkle with the fennel pollen and some finishing salt, if desired.

   

Notes

We love to serve this with Herbed Potatoes or Truffled Potatoes au Gratin with shavings of Truffle, along with Sautéed Mixed Vegetables. A perfect Easter lunch!

*The Spring Vegetables shown include: Peas, Carrots, Potato, Cherry Tomato, Fiddle Fern, sautéed with Olive Oil and Butter, finished with fresh herbs of Mint and Thyme.  See our Any Kind of Vegetable Sauté as a guide, and to get additional inspiration. 

*The Colorado rack of lamb has a much larger loin of meat which can tolerate cooking it in this fashion. For smaller racks, the cooking time would be less, and would need to be adjusted. We recommend using a meat thermometer for your desired level of doneness. We tend to like our lamb medium-rare. 

Keyword Lamb, Main

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