Bring out the best with lamb - Food: Adventures in Cooking

Sunset, March, 2003 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

For everyday wines, I am the buyer; my companion, David, buys for the cellar. In the early 1970s, when prices were exceptionally low for great quality, he took advantage of it. Time flew, and before long, those good-value wines aged and became almost too good to drink--was there ever an occasion important enough? Would we ever drink those bottles before they became absolutely priceless or, worse yet, passed over the hill (or we did)?

Then, in 1999, Wall Street Journal wine writers Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher came up with a simple solution: Open That Bottle Night (OTBN). Now, they said, is the time to drink your best wine; make the drinking of it the occasion itself. Liberating! I embellished the concept to Drink Your Best Bottle Dinner (DYBBD), because the finest vintages deserve the company of a great meal, and David bought in.

One of our most recent DYBBDs involved old friends with their own enviable wine resources and a menu that required very few kitchen diversions. The main course was rack of lamb done in two steps, with the double goal of prepping and cooking well ahead of dinner while introducing more flavor to the meat. With braised Belgian endive cloaked in prosciutto and a toasted basmati rice pilaf, the pink chops provided classy support for an elegant Vosne-Romanee Richebourg. They'd be fit company for your best red too.

Two-Step Rack of Lamb

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours to marinate

NOTES: Marinating the racks before and after browning infuses them with extra flavor; it also minimizes last-minute cooking--the racks can stand for up to 4 hours, ready to be finished quickly in a hot oven.

MAKES: 6 servings

  3 fat-trimmed racks of lamb (each
    1 1/3 to 1 1/2 lb., with 8
    trimmed rib bones; backbone removed)
  1 cup dry red wine
1/2 to 1 cup port
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup minced shallots or onion
  1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper Salt

1. Trim and discard any fat on lamb racks down to about 1/8 inch thick; rinse lamb.

2. In a deep bowl, mix wine, 1/2 cup port, vinegar, shallots, thyme, and pepper. Add lamb and turn to coat well. Cover bowl airtight and chill for 1 to 4 hours, turning racks occasionally.

3. Lift racks from marinade, draining well; reserve liquid.

4. Place a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, lay lamb racks, one or two at a time (don't crowd), meat side down, in pan. Brown entire meat side, tipping racks back and forth as necessary, 4 to 5 minutes total per rack. Frequently drain and discard any fat in pan to reduce spattering. As browned, return racks to marinade and coat well. Cover airtight and chill another 1 to 4 hours, turning racks occasionally.

5. Lift racks from bowl and lay, bones down (bones can overlap), in a shallow 12- by 17-inch pan. Pour marinade over lamb.

6. Bake in a 450[degrees] regular or convection oven until a thermometer inserted into meat in the center of a rack, parallel to rib bones, registers 125[degrees] for rare, 15 to 18 minutes, or 135[degrees] for medium-rare, 25 to 27 minutes (meat should still give easily when pressed). If marinade evaporates, add about 1/4 cup water to pan and tilt to mix, to prevent scorching. Transfer racks to a platter and let stand at least 5 minutes.

7. If desired, add 1/2 cup port and 1/4 cup water to pan; stir over high heat, scraping browned bits free, until mixture is boiling vigorously Drain any accumulated juices from lamb into pan, then pour pan juices into a small bowl.

8. Cut racks apart into double lamb chops. Serve with pan juices. Add salt to taste.

Per serving: 241 cal., 45% (108 cal.) from fat; 26 g protein; 12 g fat (4.3 g sat.); 5 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 100 mg sodium; 86 mg chol.