Rack of Lamb with Black Truffle Infused Crust

Every now and then, we decide to cook something special just for ourselves. Rack of lamb might be an extravagance, but it is also one of the easiest lamb dishes to prepare. You will look like a master chef serving it and topping the rack with a crust is a classic preparation for this cut of meat. The earthy flavor of truffles tempers the meat’s natural flavor which can appear slightly gamy to the American pallet.

Ingredients

• fresh bread crumbs, pressed down to measure  ·  1 cup 
• black truffle butter, melted, or black truffle oil  ·  3 tablespoons 
• cloves of garlic, very finely minced or grated  ·  3 
• Williamson Truffle Salt  ·  1 ½  teaspoons 
• black pepper  ·  1/4 teaspoon 
• Dijon mustard  ·  5 tablespoons 
• fresh thyme, finely chopped  ·  1 tablespoon 
• lemon juice  ·  2 tablespoons 
• mayonnaise  ·  1/3  cup 
• each 1½ to 2 pound racks (7 to 8 ribs each) of lamb, Frenched and the chine cut (have your butcher do this)  ·  2 
• olive oil  ·  1/3 cup 
• firm white bread, remove crust, cut into ¼ inch squares  ·  1 cup 

Instructions

The bones should be "Frenched" which means well-trimmed and if there is fat on the top of the rack it should be thin.  Score any fat with a small sharp knife being careful not to cut into the meat.

Place the lamb, bone side down, meat side up, in an oven roaster big enough to hold the 2 racks, bones can overlap. 

Whisk the garlic, 1 teaspoon of black truffle salt, black pepper, mustard, thyme, lemon juice and mayonnaise to combine.  Whisk in the olive oil bit by bit to make a thick creamy emulsion.

Thickly coat the lamb meat generously, top and sides, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. 

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Roast the lamb in the hot oven for 10 minutes. 

While the lamb is in the oven mix the fresh bread crumbs and 1½ tablespoons of the melted black truffle butter. 

After 10 minutes, remove the lamb from the oven and press the bread crumbs onto the surface of the lamb. Sprinkle a ¼ teaspoon of black truffle salt over the top of the crumbs. 

Return the lamb to the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook 10 minutes more. 

Check the interior temperature of the lamb with an instant read thermometer; it needs to register 120 degrees for bloody rare, 125-130 degrees for rare, 135 for medium rare. 

While the lamb is in the oven, toss the cup of cubed bread with the last 1½ tablespoons of melted truffle butter and reserve on a sheet pan. 

Remove the lamb when it is at your desired temperature, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

Place the tray of bread cubes in the oven while the lamb is resting and bake about 8 minutes or until light brown and crispy.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the last ¼ teaspoon of black truffle salt. 

Cut between the chops and serve 2 to 3 chops per person. Sprinkle the bread cubes on the plate as a garnish.  

NOTE:  When purchasing black truffle oil, actually black truffle infused oil, ensure you obtain the smallest possible bottle because it's expensive and its composition degrades relatively quickly after opening.

HEALTH NOTE:  Lamb is commonly included as a meat consumed in Mediterranean diets, which have repeatedly been shown to help lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Lamb is a good source of vitamin B12 and also provides important amounts of the B vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline. Vitamins B6, B12, folate and choline are especially important for healthy metabolism and can help prevent unwanted accumulation of excess homocysteine, a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.