In our family, rack of lamb was one of those glorious, mostly inaccessible dishes. and it was only procured for a special occasion. And every time it was done in the oven. You marinated the lamb, preferably overnight in olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and desired herbs like rosemary and thyme. Then you roasted the thing at 450 degrees F. until preferred doneness. That was the traditional way.

Recently, I began thinking about cooking the rack of lamb on the stovetop, in a skillet. Just sear the suckers in olive oil, add desired spices, and a little wine, cover and cook until done. Simple and easy to prepare. No mess, no fuss. And that is the recipe given below: Pan-Seared Rack of Lamb or, as we would call it back on the block, Costillas de Cordero Guisado (Kostiyas deh Korderoh Gee-sa-doh). This is a special one, where you want to impress everyone at the table, not just that special someone you want to take home. Enjoy this one, folks.

Note that a standard rack of lamb typically contains 7 to 8 rid bones. These racks are often sold “Frenched” meaning the meat and fat have been removed from the bone end for a cleaner presentation. A full rack normally consists of 8 ribs, which can be carved into 8 individual chops.

PAN-SEARED RACK OF LAMB
(Costilla de Cordero Guisado)

Ingredients:

2 (2 pound) racks of lamb
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
6 large springs fresh rosemary, chopped, or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ cup dry white wine

Instructions:

  1. Wash lamb racks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season racks with salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and thyme. If you’re not pressed for time, set lamb on a piece of foil-wrap enough to cover loosely and refrigerate overnight until ready to cook. If not, then cook immediately. In all cases, let the racks of lamb sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking. This will ensure more even heat distribution when cooking on stovetop.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over high-medium heat. Place racks meaty side down and cook until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Using tongs, turn racks meaty side up and cook until lightly browned on the underside, about 3 minutes.  Note that ribs curve, so the underside won’t make complete contact with the pan. Stand the racks, so the bones are pointing upward, and sear so that the underside is lightly browned. You may need to lean the racks against each other to keep them from falling.
  4. Add butter to the pan and let melt. Add garlic, lower heat to medium and cook the lamb, flipping constantly, and basting with the hot butter, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add white wine, reduce heat to low and cook 15-20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat. It should register 130 degrees F. for medium-rare or 135 for medium. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the racks. They range from quite small to big and meaty.  Use your judgement. And make sure to spend some time basting the ribs side of the racks so that they cook evenly too.
  6. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Carve between the ribs into individual chops and serve.
    Yield: 6-8 servings.