Rack of Lamb

Recipe by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) tested on March 1st, 2009

Ingredients
1-1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 racks of lamb, "frenched" (see below)
Directions
1. In bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the salt, rosemary, and garlic until they're as finely minced as possible. Add the mustard and balsamic vinegar and process for 1 minute.
2. Place the lamb in a roasting pan with the ribs curving down, and coat the tops with the mustard mixture. Allow to stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
4. Roast lamb for exactly 20 minutes for rare or 25 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then cut into individual ribs and serve. Makes 6 servings.
5. Frenching is the technique of cutting meat away from the top of a rib or chop before cooking to expose part of the bone. Ask your butcher to trim and french the rack for you. If a butcher is unavailable, follow these steps for presentation-worthy chops: Remove the thick layer of fat from bone side of rack by pulling it away with your hands and using a thin sharp knife to cut through the end; discard. (Bits of lean meat within the fat layer can be frozen for soup.) Remove meat between the ribs to 1 to 2 inches of the eye of the meat by cutting down and up along the bones. Scrape remaining bits of meat from the bone.