Rack of Lamb, Lamb Jus and Cilantro Arugula Sauce

Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos
Elcielo, Miami

Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos at a Black Jacket Society event.

Chef Barrientos, the first chef to lead a Michelin-starred Colombian cuisine restaurant, is inspired by his heritage and roots bringing the flavors of his homeland to this remarkable recipe. In the restaurant the lamb is briefly smoked and finished with high heat over Binchotan charcoal, however this recipe has been adapted to be cooked in the Gaggenau convection oven.

The rack of lamb is marinated in a mixture of herbs and beer overnight, meanwhile the accompaniments—lamb jus, fresh herb sauce and lamb butter—are prepared. In addition to the sauces, this dish is served with fried squares of semolina and pureed yucca to create an outstanding meal.

Overview

Gaggenau Appliances: Convection oven, induction or gas cooktop (optional: Teppan Yaki)

Serves 4

For the lamb:

1 large rack of lamb, frenched with 8 large chops

1 tbsp (15g) fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp (15g) fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbsp (15g) fresh cilantro leaves

1 tbsp (15g) chopped spinach

¼ cup (60g) scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 cup lager beer

1 cup dark beer

1 tsp (5g) salt

To cook the lamb:

Combine the marinade ingredients, pour over the lamb cover and refrigerate overnight. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade to make the lamb butter.

To cook the lamb, remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oven in the Convection mode to 275° F. Place the lamb on the blue oven tray, insert the core temperature probe into the meat, slide the tray into the oven, insert the other end of the probe into the probe receptacle and close the door. Touch the probe symbol on the display and program to 130° F, for medium rare or 135° for medium. Touch the probe symbol again to confirm.

When the internal temperature has been reached, remove the lamb from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. The lamb can be finished in a hot skillet or in the Broil mode.

Close-up of the rack of lamb against a dramatic black background.

Finishing the lamb:

Oven method: heat the oven in the Broil mode to 475° degrees. Spread a layer of the lamb butter over the lamb and slide the oven tray into the oven on rack position 3, counting up from the bottom. Cook for 4 - 6 minutes until evenly browned.

Cooktop method: spread a layer of butter over the lamb and heat a skillet large enough to accommodate the lamb. Induction, use the Pan Searing mode to heat the pan, then reduce to level 9. Gas use level 9. Sear the lamb until evenly browned.

Tip: Turn the cooktop ventilation to the fastest setting during this high heat cooking phase.

For the lamb jus:

3 lbs (1500g) lamb trim meat

1 lb (455g) pork neck bones

¾ lb (350g) white onion

2 large carrots

1 large leek

2 stalks celery

6 cloves garlic, whole

1 tbsp (16g) cilantro

1 tbsp (16g) thyme

4 oz (115g) miso paste

1 qt (950ml) water

4 cups ice cubes

½ cup port wine

½ cup red wine

2 tbsp panela

2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp lavender

1 vanilla bean

To make the lamb jus:

Heat the oven in the Convection mode to 340° F. Cut the carrots, leeks, onion and celery into large chunks and spread onto the blue oven tray. Trim the tops of the garlic cloves and scatter the garlic and half of the thyme over the vegetables. Place the meat on the other blue tray, scatter the remaining thyme over the meat and drizzle with a little EVOO. Place the trays in the oven and roast until the vegetables and meat are nicely browned, approximately 35 minutes.

When the meat and vegetables have finished roasting in the oven, remove the trays from the oven. Heat a large heavy pan that will accommodate the meat and vegetables with the water.

Induction or gas level 7.

When the pan comes to temperature add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and scrape the meat and vegetables into the pan. Add ½ cup of white wine to deglaze the pan and stir in the herbs mixing well. Stir in salt and pepper and the miso paste, mix well and add the water.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and reduce by half. Add 2 cups of ice, bring to a gentle boil and reduce by half, then add the remainder of the ice and reduce by half. (The ice is used to help clarify the stock.) Carefully remove the meat, bones and vegetables and strain the stock into a smaller pan.

Reduce the liquid by half one more time then, add the port and red wine and the panela. Reduce for 15 minutes then remove from the heat. Infuse the stock with the dried lavender and vanilla bean for 5 minutes then strain. Set aside to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve the lamb.

Chef carefully spoons the lamb jus over the dish.

Chef’s tip:

The lamb jus is wonderful flavorful stock that will take a couple of hours to cook so it should be made a day in advance. The semolina can also be made a day in advance and cut into squares and fried prior to serving.

For the culantro arugula sauce:

⅔ cup (75g) culantro or cilantro leaves

⅔ cup (75g) arugula leaves

¼ cup (60g) apple cider vinegar

⅛ cup (30g) smoked oil

Salt, Pepper

To make the sauce:

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for exactly 2 minutes so it doesn’t heat up and oxidize. Place in a bowl over ice or refrigerate until ready to use.

For the lamb butter:

⅛ cup (30g) marinade

¼ lb (230g) unsalted butter softened

⅓ tsp (5) smoked salt

To make the lamb butter:

Combine the ingredients and mix evenly, bring to room temperature before using.

Side Dishes

For the fried semolina squares:

3 tbsp (50g) garlic, finely minced

1 cup (25g) Italian parsley leaves, minced

1 cup (180g) semolina

2 tbsp (25g) canola oil

1 tsp (10g) salt

2 ¼ cups (550g) water

For the yuca purée:

½ lb (227g) frozen yuca

¼ cup (60ml) sancocho or vegetable stock

1 tbsp (15g) smoked oil

1 tbsp (15g) butter

To make the fried semolina squares:

Heat a heavy medium pan over low heat, level 3 - 4 induction or gas cooktop, add the oil and cook the garlic for 2 - 3 minutes without letting it color. Add the water, salt, parsley and semolina. Increase the heat to high and whisk the semolina until thick.

Pour into a 9x13 baking pan or rimmed baking sheet and smooth it evenly in the pan. Cool then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Prior to serving, cut the cooled semolina into squares and fry in a skillet. Induction or gas cooktop, level 6 or on the Teppan Yaki heated to 350° F.

To create the yuca purée:

Boil the yucca until soft, strain and remove the center vein. Process in a blender with the stock and pass through a fine sieve. Set aside until ready to serve. Heat the pureed yucca, stir in the smoked oil and butter and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dinnerware by Hering Berlin
Photography by Adahlia Cole and Colin Peck

View the printable pdf recipe

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