Parmesan Crusted Rack of Lamb
January 31, 2022 • Meat & Poultry
I have friends, including my significant other, who think they hate lamb. I’m convinced they’ve had “gamey” lamb that is closer to mutton or had lamb that was prepared poorly and overcooked. First thing you’ll want to do is sear it in a hot oven to get a nice char on the outside like that photo above.
Then press on the topping before baking it to the right temperature. A nice medium rare rack of Colorado organically raised lamb is about as mild tasting as it gets, made special with a crust for baking.
If serving lamb chops as a finger food for a party, you should French the rack first, and slice them individually. But for dinner, slicing them into 2 chop pieces works well. Just be sure you have a meat thermometer on hand to test the internal temperature of the meat – don’t go past 125 degrees for best results!
- 1 rack of lamb, about 1 to ½ pounds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat in a skillet large enough to fit the lamb. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper and sear until all sides of the rack are browned well. Remove meat to a roasting pan and let cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to roast it.
- Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and remaining oil in a small bowl and mix to combine. The bread crumbs should feel sandy. Just before roasting, press the bread crumb mixture onto the top side of the rack. Roast in a 450 degree oven until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the meat registers 120, about 20-25 minutes. The temperature will rise to 125 as it rests before slicing into chops.