Los Angeles, Ca, November – Rack of lamb is an impressive protein to cook for guests but how do you cut it?
It’s not an easy meat to cut before or after it has been cooked. A rack of lamb is a piece of meat that has many bones and to one side of the bones there is an eye of meat. On that eye of meat, there’s a top and a bottom. On the top you find the meatiest part and on the bottom you find the bones.
The obvious way to cut the lamb is to begin at the meatiest point and work your way back to the bones. However, if you have tried this method you’ve probably experienced the uneven pieces of meat and have even run into a bone or two with no way of cutting through. There is nothing worse than ruining the presentation of an expensive piece of meat. Here’s the easiest way to overcome these challenges and enhance the look of your rack of lamb.
Step 1: After the rack of lamb has cooked and rested, flip it over exposing the bones.
Step 2: Notice at the meaty end the bones look as if they’re connected (looks similar to a joint).
Step 3: Take an extra look at this joint and notice there’s a gap in-between the bones. Also, notice the curvature of the bones.
Step 4: Take the meatless end of the bones and hold it perpendicular to the cutting board.
Step 5: Place your knife in-between the first few bones at either end and cut with the curve of the bones rather than the curve of the meat.
Step 6: By following the bones, rather than the meat, your knife will run between the joint easily.
Step 7: Once the knife is past the joint, follow through the eye of the meat and continue steps 1-7 on each cut until you’ve completed the rack.
After you’ve finished cutting the meat correctly, you may find one bone is completely without meat. This is very common and most chefs consider it their chef bite. The bite that ensures the lamb tastes the way it’s supposed to.
This same technique can be used to group (three bones per section) the lamb rather than cut individual pieces. Grouping the lamb will help keep it at a perfect medium rare.
The next time you’re at a dinner party and someone is serving rack of lamb, you can impress them with your knowledge of how to cut it.
Check out some delicious recipes with lamb: fig compote over lamb, beef bourgeon
