Petes Total Food

This rack of lamb dinner is one of those meals that feels truly restaurant-quality from start to finish. The lamb is seared for a deep golden crust, coated in a pistachio-herb crust, and finished to a perfect medium rare for incredibly tender, flavorful bites. Paired with garlic-rosemary mashed potatoes and a rich cranberry red wine jus made from the pan drippings, every element brings something special to the plate. It’s bold, elegant, and packed with layers of flavor in every bite.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 ½ Hours | Serves: 2 | See Full Video Below

Ingredients:

• 1 Rack of Lamb
• Neutral Oil (avocado, vegetable, etc.)
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 5 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Tbsp Rosemary
• 2 Tbsp Parsley
• 1/2 Lemon Zested
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 3/4 Cup Pistachios 
• 2 Sprigs Rosemary 
• 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes 
• 1 Shallot
• 1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine
• 1/4 Cup Cranberries 
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Thyme

Directions:

1. Compound Butter

• Mix 1/2 cup soft unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 tbsp rosemary (finely chopped), 1 tbsp thyme or parsley (finely chopped), 1/2 lemon zested, salt and black pepper, roll into a log in plastic wrap and refrigerate to harden

2. Pistachio-Herb Crust

• Mix 3/4 cup pistachios (finely chopped), 1 tbsp rosemary and parsley (finely chopped) and 1/2 tsp salt, then set aside

3. Lamb

• Pat lamb dry and salt generously
• Heat a heavy pan (cast iron) with oil until simmering
• Sear lamb fat-side down first, then all sides until deeply browned
• Add 4 tbsp butter, 3 garlic cloves (crushed), and 2 rosemary sprigs
• Tilt pan and baste continuously for 1-2 minutes 
• Remove the lamb to rest, save the butter, garlic and rosemary in the pan

4. Crust and Grill

• Brush and cover the lamb with softened compound butter to create a sticky surface fo the pistachio mix, then press the lamb in the pistachio-herb mix to cover all sides
• Preheat grill to 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook several minutes a side making sure to pull it off at 135 degrees for medium rare

5. Garlic-Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

• Boil 2 Yukon gold potatoes until soft, strain and let air dry for a minute or two
• Then, warm the butter, garlic and rosemary from the pan and pour through a strainer so just the butter goes into the potatoes, and mash the potatoes with a potato masher
• Last warm the milk and add that to the potatoes with salt and black pepper to taste

6. Red Wine Sauce

• Use the same pan that had the rosemary and garlic and sauté 1 minced shallot until soft
• Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping any bits off the bottom
• Let the wine simmer until slightly reduced, then add 1/4 cup cranberries, 1 tsp rosemary and thyme (finely chopped) and let simmer for 5 minutes
• Remove the pan from heat and whisk in 4 tbsp of cold butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce it glossy and thickened
• Place a scoop of mashed potatoes on a plate, and put the rack of lamb on top
• Finally, pour the sauce over everything and enjoy!