Tony Zentgraf
Enjoy this recipe for Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Lamb Loin for Easter or Anytime!
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Love Rack of Lamb? Try This!
The boneless lamb loin has great flavor and is very tender plus it includes the tenderloin too. Great to stuff and roll or cut and pan sear, not to mention you could season the tenderloin and skewer for a treat on the grill for an appetizer.
Lamb loin is a cut that comes from the section that is further back of the rack or rib section. Rack of lamb is sold with the ribs attached, whereas, the loin can be sold a number ways.
One of the most see cuts in the markets and restaurants are lamb chops, bones still attached. This cut would be the T-bone of the lamb where you have the loin attached to the tenderloin getting the most tender parts in one cut.
The cut used in this recipe is a 12″ section of boneless of the lamb loin. The fat cap is still attached and the tenderloin is attached as well. This cut works great to create a roll or remove the fat cap and roast whole or cut into medallions.
The loin can also be bone in, sometimes referred to as the saddle. Cutting from the saddle, the cut could have lamb loins from both sides as a type of steak with bones attached. You can also find a boneless lamb loin with both loins attached to the fat cap. This makes for a nice roulade as well to stuff, with double the meat per slice in the cooked roast.
Lamb Popularity
Often times, lamb falls into a love it or leave it category for many. Lamb can be one of the most delicate meats you can eat. In addition, one of the most nutritious. On the other hand, the lamb is one of the least enjoyed in the U.S.
Ask some friends and family about lamb, and here in the U.S., you they will probably turn their nose up at the mere question. In the U.S. lamb is given a bad rap.
The thought of lamb give people the image of gamey, tough and even earthy or grassy meat. Although lamb may not be a favored meat here in the U.S. world wide it is one of the most consumed meats.
According to the USDA, the quantity of meats consumed in the U.S. are (from greatest to least) as follows, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Turkey, and Lamb trailing by a significant margin. Yet in other parts of the world it is more readily available than other meats.
Where many of the countries that consume lamb are less likely to have other meat sources available, Greece, Turkey and Australia are some of the top lamb consumers.
Lamb Flavor Pairings
I have a theory on why lamb doesn’t rank higher in popularity with the American palate. Thinking back to my own youth, I remember lamb being stronger in aroma and flavor than it is today. The fact that mint jelly was used in conjunction with the roasted lamb that was passed at the holiday table should be an indication of history of lamb in the U.S.
Depending on the age of the lamb/sheep the flavor of the meat becomes stronger in flavor. I believe that the lamb that was sold decades to centuries ago in the U.S. was more along the age of mutton vs the younger lamb. Thus the use of mint jelly was popular to “mellow” the flavor.
When cooking with lamb, there are many flavors that pair well, various spices from around the world, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon, and rosemary and even mint.
If you know me, I am particular when it comes to the use of mint. I believe it has its place in food – desserts, Mediterranean food, and even in Asian dishes sure. But pairing it with a leg rack of lamb in a jelly, no way!
Try some other lamb recipes –
- Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kebabs
- Five Spice Marinated Lamb Chops with Six Spice Mongolian Sauce
- Grilled Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb (GF)
- Balsamic & Rosemary Marinated Lamb Chops (GF)
- Pinchos Morunos (Moorish Skewers)
While you will find these recipes are packed with flavor, the use of mint jelly is nowhere in sight! 😎
I hope you enjoy the Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Lamb Loin!
Enjoy!
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Lamb Loin
Print RecipeEquipment
- 1 Santuko Knife - SNF Kitchen
- 1 Butcher's Twine
- 1 Sauce Pot
- 1 Wireless Thermometer - The MeatStick Chef X
- 1 Roasting Pan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Zester
Recipe Multiplier
Lamb Loin Ingredients
- 1 ea Lamb Loin - (approx 1.5 lbs)
- 2 tbsp Grain Mustard
- 1/4 cup Shallot - minced
- 3 tbsp Fresh Rosemary - minced
- 8 ea Roasted Garlic Cloves - chopped
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest - approx 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Pinot Noir Reduction
- 2 cup Pinot Noir Wine
- ⅓ cup Chicken stock or broth
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Cold Butter - to finish sauce
Beurre Manie
- 2 tbsp Butter - softened
- 2 tbsp Flour
Instructions
Roasting Garlic Cloves
- Preheat Oven to 350°
- Place garlic cloves on a piece of foil large enough to wrap the garlic cloves.Wrap the garlic cloves in the foil and pinch to close around sides.
- Roast the garlic cloves in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Time will vary depending on the size of the garlic cloves.Test the softness of the garlic cloves by pressing on them in the foil with the backside of a spoon or tongs. Once soft, remove from the oven and let cool.Rough chop the garlic into ¼" pieces.
Sauteing Shallot and Rosemary
- In a Saute Pan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat.
- Saute the shallots until they become translucent.
- Add the rosemary. Saute until the rosemary becomes fragrant and shallots are tender. Approx 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cool.(It is important that the ingredients are cool before filling any raw meat)
Preparing the Lamb Loin
- Remove the tenderloin from the loin. Clean the tenderloin by trimming any silverskin.Reserve aside.
- To prepare the fat cap of the lamb loin, start by trimming the fat cap on the outside.Remove any discolored fat and level out any raised areas.
- Turn the lamb loin over.Using a boning knife, trim away the fat on the underside of the fat cap.Trim the fat cap to approximately ¼-⅓ of an inch.
- Using the knife, slowly separate the lamb loin from the fat cap.Rolling the meat away as you slice with the knife.Leave the fat cap attached to the lamb loin.
Filling the Lamb Loin
- With the lamb loin still rolled away from the fat cap, season with salt and pepper. Top with the grain mustard, spread to cover.
- Top with the sauteed Rosemary and Shallots.
- Place the chopped Roasted Garlic onto the Rosemary and Shallots.
- Distribute the lemon zest over the filling.
- Roll the lamb loin back over the filling.
- Add any additional filling ingredients over the lamb loin.Then place the tenderloin on top of the loin.
Rolling and Tying the Lamb
- Roll the fat cap over the lamb loin and filling. The fat cap will not fully wrap around the meat.
- Place the tightly wrapped lamb loin in the center of a cutting board.
- Using Butcher's Twine, tie the lamb loin at 1" intervals from one end to the other.See video for two methods of tying. Using separate pieces of twine at each interval or using a butcher's method to continuously tie the length of the loin.
- Once the lamb loin is tied season with Kosher Salt and Black PepperPreheat oven to 350°
- Sear the lamb loin, rolling to develop a nice crust on the outside.
- Roast the lamb loin in the oven. Use a wireless thermometer to dial in the perfect temperature of your roast.
- Once the desired temperature is achieved remove from the oven.Approximately 35-40 minutes for medium rare.Rest the meat before slicing for 10 minutes.
- Remove the twine from the roast.Slice into 1" pieces an serve with the Pinor Noir Reduction.
Making the Pinot Noir Reduction
- While the Lamb Loin is roasting make the sauce.The sauce can be made and held warm until ready to serve.
- In a saucepan, add the wine and reduce by half.
- At this point, add the chicken broth or stock and reduce by half again.
- Thicken with the Beurre ManieIn a bowl, combine the softened butter and flour. Mix until they are combined completely.
- While the sauce is at a rolling simmer, add small amounts of the Beurre Manie while whisking the sauce. Approximately 1 tbsp of the Beurre Manie to thicken the sauce.
- Beurre Manie works in a similar way to roux. The act of boiling creates the right environment to allow the butter and flour to thicken the sauce.It is always best to start with less, you can always add more.
- Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two. Check the thickness of the sauce by testing with a spoon. The sauce should coat the back of the spoon.If desired whisk in additional Beurre Manie and repeat the process of simmering to thicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened to your desire, remove the sauce from the heat.
- Whisk in the Cold Butter. The burrer will slowly melt, creating a sheen to the sauce and enhance the flavor.
- Adjust seasoning with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.
- Serve immediately with the Lamb Loin.Enjoy!
