Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [72]
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Substitute regular breadcrumbs for the panko crumbs.
The result will be slightly less crispy.
If you don’t have wasabi (or dont’t like it), use 2 tablespoons
mustard and omit the wasabi.
KNOW-HOW: PURCHASING A RACK OF LAMB
All lamb racks contain eight rib bones, but their sizes vary, mostly depending on origin. New Zealand and Icelandic lamb racks tend to weigh less than 1 pound. Racks from Australia are about 1¼ pounds, and an American rack of lamb typically weighs in at around 2 pounds. Racks also differ by how much they are trimmed. Below are some terms that are useful to know when buying a rack:
CHINED RACK: The edge of each vertebra (chine) has been removed, which makes the rack easier to carve into individual rib portions. It still has a thick cap of muscle and fat covering the rib-eye meat, and a strip of belly fat, or tail covering the bones.
ROAST-READY RACK: The same as a chined rack, but most of the cap and belly fat have been removed.
FRENCHED ROAST-READY RACK: Has had the belly fat between the ribs removed, revealing about 1½ inches of clean rib bone.
SPECIAL FRENCHED RACK: All the fat and meat other than the rib-eye have been trimmed away. The rib bones are cleaned and fully exposed.
SADDLE/RACK
Grill-Roasted Saddle of Lamb with Banana Mustard
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
A saddle of lamb is a specialty cut consisting of the entire rib cage of the animal. Less delicate than a rack of lamb (one side of a saddle), and less ostentatious than a crown roast (several racks tied together in a circle), the presentation of a whole saddle is at once grand and basic, showcasing the natural configuration of the animal’s rib section. It is in all respects a primal roast. Because the saddle has two sets of arching rib bones, it will sit securely on a grill grate with the eye of the roast raised away from the fire, allowing it to roast evenly without scorching. This recipe alters the typical herbal palette for lamb with some exotic flavors. The rub has the rich, chocolaty chile character of Mexican mole, and the accompanying condiment is a revelatory blend of pungent banana and sinus-searing mustard vying for your olfactory attention.
INGREDIENTS:
Banana Mustard:
2 tablespoons molasses
½ cup brown mustard
1 ripe banana, mashed
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ to ⅓ teaspoon Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha
1 lamb saddle (double rack, about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
¼ cup Mole Rub
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 325°F.
For the banana mustard: Mix the molasses, mustard, mashed bananas, salt, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
With the saddle placed bone-side down, separate the eyes of meat from the vertebrae that run down the center of the roast by making a cut on either side of the spine. You should feel the knife moving along the bone. The meat will now be separated from the vertebrae, but will still be attached to the rib bones running along the bottom of the roast.
Brush the meat, including the parts separated from the vertebrae, with ½ cup of the mustard mixture.
Mix the mole rub and breadcrumbs. Pat all over the outside parts of the roast on the outside. Let rest for about 20 minutes. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the roast on the grill away from the heat, cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thick part of the meat registers about 130°F (make sure the thermometer is not touching bone), about 50 minutes.
Remove the roast to a large serving platter, and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the lamb from either side of the spine in thin slices. Serve with the remaining ½ cup banana mustard.
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KEEP IT SIMPLE:
If you can