Let's get the weekend started with this amazing feast of Grilled Rack of Lamb and Summer Vegetables! Tender lamb charred to perfection along with summer squash, zucchini, corn and tomatoes. The lamb marinates overnight in a thick paste of garlic, shallots, a trio of fresh herbs and olive oil. Prepping ahead makes this impressive meal doable any night of the week. Such a delicious way to celebrate summer!
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Prepping the Lamb
This recipe was adapted from the latest issue of Food & Wine which was full of mouthwatering inspiration this month. When it comes to French-trimmed racks of lamb they vary in size, from lollipop-chop racks weighing around a half pound, to larger-chop racks weighing closer to 2 ¼ pounds like I have here.
Marinating
The thick, garlicky, herbaceous paste is slathered all over the lamb racks and should marinate at least four hours at a minimum. Marinating overnight is best to have those bold flavors penetrate the meat.
You can see the vegetables I chose to accompany the lamb on the grill, much of which were in my weekly CSA share. Feel free to grill up whatever veggies your fam likes most. I like coating them in vegetable oil rather than olive oil because of the higher heat tolerance. Be sure to generously season with s&p!
Grilling & Serving
When grilling, leave a portion of the grill unlit so once there's a good char on the fat cap side, the lamb can more slowly and evenly cook over the indirect heat. This will ensure perfectly medium-rare chops from coast-to-coast (or to your desired doneness). I held off putting the veggies on the grill until the lamb was just about done to keep from having to open the lid too often and end up with inconsistent grill temperatures. The lamb needs to rest 10-15 minutes which is plenty of time to cook the vegetables.
Once the lamb has rested and everything is perfectly charred, grab a large platter or a half sheet cake pan as I did here. Figured I'd give it some use since the last time I made a cake with it was for my daughter's first birthday. That was 14 years ago. At any rate, have fun arranging all this deliciousness and garnish with plenty of fresh herbs. It's time to crack open a cold one and dig in. Here's to hanging on to summer! xx, Kim
More Lamb Recipes
Greek Lamb Burgers w/ Avocado Tzatziki
Spicy Glazed Lamb Tacos w/ Mediterranean Salsa
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Grilled Rack of Lamb and Summer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 12 garlic cloves (about 1 head)
- 3 large shallots
- 1 cup packed fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme or mint, plus extra for garnish
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 racks of lamb, about 2 pounds each, frenched trimmed
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 2 green zucchini, sliced on diagonal ½-inch thick
- 2 yellow squash, sliced on diagonal ½-inch thick
- 2 ears corn, husked and broken in half
- 1 bunch on-the-vine tomatoes
- balsamic glaze for serving, store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- Combine garlic, shallots, fresh herbs, ⅓ cup oil and crushed red pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until mixture forms a thick paste, about 30-45 seconds.
- Place lamb racks on a large, parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
- Evenly slather the paste on both sides of the lamb.
- Tent foil over the lamb and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove lamb from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
- Sprinkle racks all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Wrap exposed lamb bones with aluminum foil.
- On another large, parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, coat vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining teaspoon salt and remaining teaspoon pepper.
- Preheat a gas grill over high heat (500°F) on one side or two-thirds of grill depending on size.
- Place lamb, fat cap sides down, on oiled grates over lit side of grill.
- Grill, covered until browned and charred, 7-8 minutes.
- Flip lamb, and move to oiled grates on unlit part of grill.
- Grill, covered, to desired degree of doneness, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 125°F for medium-rare, 15-20 minutes, flipping racks halfway through cooking time.
- Remove from grill and tent with foil. Let rest 10 minutes while grilling vegetables.
- Place corn halves and zucchini slices directly on lit grill grates.
- Grill corn 12-15 minutes moving every few minutes, grill zucchini and squash 3-4 minutes per side, and tomatoes about 5 minutes without turning.
- Cut lamb into chops. Arrange chops and vegetables on a large platter or sheet pan.
- Serve with balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
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Oh my goodness - this dish is fabulous Kim. It's so vibrant and packed with flavour; it's a quintessence of summer comfort meal. The photos are stunning too. I must admit I was starring at each of them for at least 15 seconds!
Wow Kim! This looks absolutely beautiful. It looks like it should be on the cover of a food magazine. Pinning!
Thanks so much Kim! Was definitely a hit with the fam!