I love lamb all year but Spring is where I put the slow roasting of Winter behind me and turn my focus to the grill. Whole legs become butterflied legs on the grill. Chops make multiple appearances throughout the warm season. But I always like to kick off the season with the king of all grilled lamb dishes - the rack!

Brush off your grill and get ready to impress your guest with a dish that is truly far less effort than it appears.

Let’s cook!

Prep: 30 minutesCook: 30 minutesServings: 2

Ingredients

* 1 rack of lamb

* 1 bunch of asparagus, ends snapped off

* 300g new baby potatoes, cut in half

* Butter

* 1⁄4 cup olive oil

* Dijon mustard

* 1 cups fresh mint leaves

* 2 garlic cloves

* Zest from 1⁄2 a lemon

* 1 tbsp lemon juice

* Flat leaf parsley, about a handful

* Kosher salt

* Fresh ground pepper

Method

Step 1: Prep the Lamb Rack

* Season the rack generously with Kosher salt on all sides, including the ends. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

* Rub 1 tbsp of dijon mustard all over the rack. Crack some fresh ground pepper on both sides and finish with a little more salt. This acts as a binder and builds a nice crust when grilling.

* Using a piece of foil as long as the rack, wrap the ends of the rib bones so they don’t burn on the grill. They will probably fall off halfway through the cooking process but that’s ok, you want to prevent them from burning as best as possible.

Step 2: Make the Pesto

* 2:22 Place the mint, parsley, lemon zest, lemon, garlic, and a tsp of salt in an immersion blender jar or a food processor and pulse until fully emulsified.

* 3:18 Taste test for salt levels and consistency. Typically I’ll adjust by adding a tsp or two of water and some more olive oil.

* Set aside.

Step 3: Time to Cook

I’m going to lay this out in a rapid fire sequence. If this seems like too much to control please feel free to cook the items in this order: potatoes - lamb - asparagus. But, I encourage you to try this timing sequence - if you don’t nail it this time, you will next time.

* Light your grill and bring to a medium-high heat (around 450°F). I always like to have an off-heat area set up to keep things under control.

* Set a pot of salted water to boil. Add your potatoes and keep an eye on them while you cook the lamb.

* Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

* Get the lamb on the grill. I go bone side down first and flip often. Every minute.

* Try to keep the foil on the bones as best as possible. If it comes off don’t

* bother trying to put it back on - just keep the foil under the bones every time you flip it.

* Check on your potatoes. As soon as they are perfectly done, turn off the heat, drain them in a colander, and then add them right back to the pot with a big knob of butter. Give them a stir and put a lid on them to keep them hot.

* OK, back to the lamb. Keep flipping! This should only take about a total of 7 minutes per side, so 14-15 minutes of total cook time, but you really do have to eyeball it and judge for yourself. I generally lean on pulling the rack off earlier than later as it will continue to cook as it rests.

* You want to get the internal temp to 120°F before resting. It will continue to cook and rise to a temp of 125-130°F, which is ideal for medium rare. I am constantly poking it while cooking to test for doneness. This is a tricky thing to get perfect so I do recommend using a thermometer if you have one.

* As soon as you feel the lamb is done, get it onto a cutting board, layer a sheet of foil over it, and place a tea towel over top of the foil. Let it rest for a good 15 minutes.

* While the lamb is resting, grill your asparagus 2 minutes per side and put them back on the same plate.

Step 4: Plate and Serve

* Remove the towel and foil from the lamb and stand it up on its end. You want to cut straight down through every second rib, which should give you 4 thick chops.

* Plate two chops for each person with the potatoes and asparagus. Drizzle a healthy amount of the mint pesto over the lamb and potatoes.

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Rack of Lamb from The Butcher Shoppe

https://butchershoppedirect.com/products/canadian-frenched-lamb-rack

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