Honey Miso-Glazed Lamb Chop "Lollipops"

Lamb racks are not commonly used in our Southeast Asian, Chinese cuisine and because of this unfamiliarity, many of us might be slightly intimidated by it. The situation is made worse when cooking shows typically portray lamb rack as an atas (expensive, high end) ingredient which is tedious to work with and more than often, a complex recipe to cook it with.

Living in Australia made me realised that lamb racks are actually fairly straightforward to prepare; they can be further portioned into lamb chops to make them even more manageable. Like a good cut of steak, a good lamb chop doesn't require too much effort and are definitely suitable for a casual dining setting like an Aussie backyard barbie. With that in mind, I've put together this Japanese flavours inspired recipe that washes down very nicely with a couple of beers. 

And with these beautiful New Zealand lamb racks from Pure South, things are even easier! The good people at Pure South frenched the racks before vacuum-packing them, saving me the time and hassle of doing it so. And by vacuum-packing, not only does it retains the quality of the free range, grass-fed meat, it is more hygienic and extends the average shelf life significantly with its oxygen-void environment that limits bacterial growth!

Honey Miso-Glazed Lamb Chop "Lollipops"

2 rack of lamb, frenched, portioned and trimmed if desired
Total bone-in, fats on weight= 920g

Marinade
30g     White Miso
50g     Honey
15g     Mirin
15g     Brown Sugar
15g     Vegetable oil
  8g     Ginger, grated, about 1" thumb-sized
10g     Garlic, grated, about 3 medium-sized cloves

Sauce
100g     Water (adjust to preferred consistency)
  15g     Brown Sugar (adjust to taste)
optional:
    5g     Chili powder (adjust to taste)

1. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the chops for at least 1 hour. If your chops are thicker than 1", let them come to room temperature before cooking.

2. In a frying pan, over med-high heat, lay the chops, fat side down till fat is rendered and has caramelised (skip this step if fats have been removed). 

3. Then cook each side for about 1-2.5mins depending on the preferred doneness and how thick the chops are. 

4. Remove the chops from pan. Cover with a piece of aluminium foil and rest for 5mins.

5. While the chops are resting, in the same frying pan, add water, brown sugar and chili powder (if using), adjust to taste accordingly. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce till it has thicken slightly.

6. Drizzle sauce over lamb chops, garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.

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Thoughts: Honey Miso is a combination I put together for a corn on the cob recipe a few months ago. It's sweet and savoury and slightly nutty, a combination that's super easy to fall in love with. When we were eating the corncob with our hands, gnawing on it, licking the sticky sauce off our fingers, it made me want to reach out for a glass of beer. 🍺 So when I was conceptualising a recipe for lamb rack, wanting to create a dish that's easy to cook, with crowd-pleasing flavours and suitable for a casual setting, "Honey Miso" pops up straight away and I knew we had a winner because it's gonna be a beer-friendly dish! 

The sticky, sweet and savoury sauce, holding the lamb chop in one hand with beer in the other, then tearing a huge chunk of meat off with my teeth. There's something primeval about this experience that so satisfy the carnivorous self in me. This, to me, makes a perfect beer food... Okay, maybe throw in a side of fries/chips/frites, I'll never say no to that too. 😁

Compared to mutton, lamb is milder in flavour, especially so for Pure South's stress-free and hormones-free meat; it doesn't have the strong gamey smell and taste which some people find hard to stomach. That's why good quality cuts of lamb are essential to creating a successful lamb dish. Like mentioned earlier, good quality meats doesn't require much effort and will be delicious on their own. That is half the battle won. 

Lamb is a tender piece of meat to work with, hence many chefs recommends serving them medium-rare. That would be my suggestion as well, but knowing our culture, you may chose to cook them all the way through, especially when serving the very young and the elderly. Because even so, they will still remain tender.

Pure South's lamb racks are fairly lean with just a teeny bit of fat which tastes so good after caramelisation. But of course, it can be easily removed for the health-conscious guests. If you're not sure of everyone's preferences, I would suggest doing what I did here, removed the fats for 1 rack and leave it on for the other. Then have them served on different plates, so guests can pick what they want and everyone will be happy!

Beer wise, a fruity pale ale or a lighter lager that's easier on the palate will pair pretty well. Although personally, I'll opt for a dark, malty, almost stout-like ale to balance out the sweetness in the glaze, but my preference has always skew towards dark ale. If any beer enthusiasts try this recipe, do let me know which beer type pairs the best!   

So there we have it. A simple recipe with high-quality lamb chops that requires minimal effort and even less time if they are hitting the barbie. And definitely not forgetting to mention that they washes so well with beer. These meat "lollipops" are bound to be a great hit at your next social gathering, kids and adults alike!

Those in Singapore are a fortunate lot. You can now order directly from puresouth.asia and have them delivered straight to your home! Remember to enter the promo code "FARMFRESH2U" enjoy a 10% discount till 31st July 2017! Also remember to like Pure South's facebook page for more lamb racks recipes. Soon you'll find yourself agreeing with what I've mentioned - tender, no gamey smell and super tasty. 1 rack is simply not enough. Try this dish out and share with us your yummy creations or your favourite beer pairing via facebook, or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!

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This is a compensated post in collaboration with Pure South in return for recipe development and my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and are in no way influenced by the company and/or its affiliates. 

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