This delicious rack of lamb with traditional English mint sauce will impress your dinner guests. It’s simple to make, and starts with fresh ingredients. This is the kind of Sunday dinner your grandmother used to make, and its trip down memory lane will bring a delicious smile to everyone’s face. Pro tip: Serve a minty julep cocktail to your guests when they arrive. We love this Cheater Mint Julep!
The History of Rack of Lamb for Easter
Rack of lamb has been a part of culinary traditions for centuries, all the way back to when the ancient Mesopotamians first domesticated sheep. The history of eating lamb for Easter goes all the way back to pre-Abrahamic religious traditions, when sacrificing a lamb was one way to show devotion and gratitude. But it’s one of the first fresh meats available after the long winter months, so it makes sense as a dish for both Passover and Easter.
Rack of Lamb with Traditional English Mint Sauce
Description
A delicious Easter dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the English mint sauce:
- 2/3 cup malt vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint from 2 large bunches
For the rack of lamb:
- 2 racks of lamb, well trimmed and frenched (about 1½ pounds each)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
For the English mint sauce:
- Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan, and boil over high heat until sugar dissolves. Stir in the 2/3 cup chopped mint. Set aside to cool.
- If you’re in a rush, you can use a store-bought substitute like Duerr’s Mint Sauce.
For the rack of lamb:
- Season lamb on both sides with black pepper. Chop garlic finely with salt, pressing down with the side of the knife from time to time, until a paste forms. In a small bowl, mix this paste into the mustard. Divide mustard mixture between racks of lamb, spreading over both sides evenly. In a medium-sized bowl, toss bread crumbs with ¼ cup chopped mint. Divide breadcrumb mixture between racks, pressing onto lamb and coating both sides completely.
- Transfer prepared lamb to oven rack. Insert roast probe into thickest part of one of the racks of lamb. Place the oven rack along with roasting pan and lamb in oven and insert short end of probe into probe socket. Select “Auto Roast” setting on oven. Set oven temperature to 425°F. Adjust roast probe to 150°F. A tone will sound when the probe temperature is reached in about 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove oven rack with lamb from oven. Transfer lamb to cutting board and cover with foil for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut each rack between the bones into chops. To serve, pass English mint sauce separately.
Photo courtesy of Hudspeth River Ranch
Recipe by Justin Matase
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