Recipe for sous vide lamb crown
Lamb is a staple at the Easter table. Metaphorically, lamb is inseparably linked to Jesus, but beyond that, tender and juicy lamb is an incredibly delicate dish that for many signifies spring and brighter, warmer times.
Rack of lamb – known as rack of lamb in English – is not cheap, so it is understandable if the preparation can feel somewhat nerve-wracking. Additionally, the meat is quite thin on one side (around the ribs), making it very susceptible to overcooking. All of this makes a rack of lamb perfect for sous vide. With sous vide, there is absolutely no need for worry.
Here, I will show you how to prepare a rack of lamb using sous vide to achieve the absolute best results – Easter or not!
What is rack of lamb?
Rack of lamb is an incredibly beautiful cut that is undeniably decorative on any lunch or dinner table. On one side of the cut sits the delicious, tender meat, while the ribs sit neatly in a row on the other side.
Rack of lamb is cut from the lamb’s back. It is without comparison the most tender and best piece of meat on the entire animal! Therefore, it naturally deserves the absolutely best method of preparation: Sous vide.
Rack of lamb in sous vide
What I love about sous vide is that I know how the final result will be: Perfect. Every single time!
When preparing cuts with different thicknesses, as is very much the case with rack of lamb, traditional cooking methods are not the most ideal. It’s a similar scenario to when we roast a whole duck in the oven: When the breast is perfect, the legs are actually overcooked. We would almost argue that it feels entirely unnatural to prepare a duck in one piece, but that’s a whole other discussion.
When traditionally preparing a rack of lamb, typically on the grill or in the oven, you need to be very precise with the timing. Just a few minutes can make a world of difference.
By cooking a rack of lamb using sous vide, all the fibers will reach the exact same temperature from the inside out. And because the cooking process occurs over a long period, it’s not significant if it stays in the water bath for a quarter of an hour “too long.” Therefore, your nerves are nowhere near as on edge as when you have a rack of lamb in the oven or on the grill. Instead, you can completely relax and focus on your guests – and that is something I truly appreciate being able to do.
Rack of lamb time and temperature in sous vide
When it comes to sous vide, only time and temperature matter. There’s nothing to flip and no temperatures to adjust. You set your sous vide machine, and then you don’t actually need to give it another thought.
With sous vide, the cooking time is relatively long, while the temperature is significantly lower than with traditional methods. There are many different recommendations for sous vide time and temperature for 1 kilogram of rack of lamb. The perfect time and temperature depend on several parameters, including the quality of the meat and personal preference.
Roughly speaking, the temperature determines the color, while the time affects texture, tenderness, and chewiness. If you prefer rare, you typically aim for around 54-55 degrees Celsius, whereas medium rare is about 60 degrees Celsius. The cooking time is the same whether you prefer your meat rare or medium rare – cooking rack of lamb well done is not recommended.
I prefer my meat medium rare (pink) and juicy. Additionally, I always buy really good quality meat from my butcher. This means I can afford to give it slightly less time in the water bath than if I had a more “questionable” quality rack of lamb. If you are not entirely sure about the quality of your rack of lamb, I would recommend adding 25 percent to the time.
Rack of lamb searing and rest time
After the water bath, the rack of lamb is technically edible. Note that I say technically. The meat doesn’t get a sear in the sous vide – that’s almost a given. And a good sear is essential to give the meat a really good flavor. This means that when the rack of lamb comes out of the water bath, you need to add a sear.
Here you can choose to use your grill, a blowtorch, a frying pan, or a griddle. What’s important is that the temperature is as high as possible and that the cooking time is as short as possible, so the meat doesn’t continue to cook but merely gets some color.
I usually use a frying pan or a griddle (when the regular pan isn’t large enough), and I prefer to use homemade ghee (clarified butter) for searing. Ghee gives the sear that lovely nutty flavor of butter, and because the butter is clarified, it can reach significantly higher temperatures than regular butter.
If you don’t have ghee, you can also use a 1:1 mix of oil and butter. It’s a fine substitute.
The meat doesn’t need to rest afterward and is ready to be carved immediately.
Sous vide rack of lamb recipe
Sous vide lamb crown
Equipment
- Sous Vide
Ingredients
- 1 kg Crown Of Lamb 2 pcs.
- Salt and Pepper
- Ghee or butter for frying
- Flake Salt
Instructions
- Start by removing tendons and membranes from the lamb crown.
- Then season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Put the lamb crown in a bag and vacuum seal the bag.
- Set your sous vide to 59 or 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) and let the lamb crown cook in it for 1.5 hours. If you are not quite sure about the quality of the meat (if it is either bought at the supermarket, or if you are not entirely comfortable with your butcher), I would recommend adding an extra half hour to the time.
- Remove the lamb crown from your sous vide when the time is up.
- Unpack the meat and dry it well with a clean kitchen towel. It is important that it is very dry - this ensures a better sear.
- Place your frying pan or griddle on the stove and turn to the highest heat. I used a griddle.
- Either add ghee or a mixture of butter and oil to the smoking hot pan/griddle.
- Quickly brown the lamb crown for about 20 seconds on each side.
- Serve!
- Bon appétit!