How to prepare a rack of lamb on the grill for perfectly tender, juicy meat with a delicious outside crust. Links to lamb marinade and sauce for lamb recipes. Budget time for marinating the racks - overnight is ideal, but even a couple of hours will make a difference.
Trim any excess fat from the racks, but leave enough to cover them (it will add flavor as it melts).
Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl - the rosemary, garlic, onion followed by the olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Brush the resulting pasty marinade over the racks, cover them and allow to marinate refrigerated for a few hours or overnight if possible.
Before grilling, bring the racks to room temperature by leaving them on the counter for about 30 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. (You may wrap the exposed bones with tinfoil to protect them from catching fire; remove it towards the end of the cooking time so the bones can brown).
Gas Grill
Turn all the burners on and close the lid. When the grill is heated to high, turn off the burners on one side and leave only those on the other side on high. This will create a hot zone and a moderate temperature zone away from the direct heat.
Place the seasoned racks fat side down onto the grates in the moderate temperature zone away from the burners. Close the lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes - the fat will render and the meat will brown.
Move the racks over to the hot side of the grill and place them bones down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them over to the meaty side down and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Finally, position the racks vertically, placing them so that they support each other, with the short bottom meaty sides onto the grate. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Check the temperature to determine if racks are done (consult ranges for various doneness levels below). Cook a little bit longer if more time is needed.
Pull off the grill and allow to rest, loosely tented with foil, before carving.
Charcoal Grill
Use a large chimney starter to light about 6 quarts of charcoals. When they are covered with ash, pour them on one side of your grill only. This will create a hot and moderate temperature zones. Cover and open the vent completely, bring to hot.
Place the seasoned racks fat side down onto the grates in the moderate temperature zone away from the charcoals. Close the lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes - the fat will render and the meat will brown.
Move the racks over to the hot side of the grill and place them bones down, directly over the charcoals. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them over to the meaty side down and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Finally, position the racks vertically, placing them so that they support each other, with the short bottom meaty sides onto the grate. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Check the temperature to determine if racks are done (consult ranges for various doneness levels below). Cook a little bit longer if more time is needed.
Pull off the grill and allow to rest, loosely tented with foil, before carving.
Notes
Doneness temperatures for grilled rack of lamb:RARE: stop cooking when 115-120 F / final serving temperature reaches 120-125 FMEDIUM-RARE: stop cooking when 120-125 F/ final serving temperature reaches 125-130 FMEDIUM: stop cooking when 130-135 F / final serving temperature reaches 135-140 FDo not cook past medium, the meat will begin to dry and toughen.Note that domestic lamb racks are larger and will take longer to cook than racks from smaller New Zealand or Australian animals.Sticky honey, garlic & rosemary sauce recipe. Collection Sauces for Lamb RecipesCollection Lamb Marinade Recipes