Lamb Recipes

Rack of Lamb with Vignarola

By
Three-bone rack of lamb on a plate served pink with vignarola.

Perfectly rendered lamb fat, all crisp and golden, with pink tender flesh makes for a joyous mouthful. Add to that this Italian classic, a pure reflection of spring and its bounty, and you have a meal that should linger long in the memory. Cooking a rack of lamb can feel like a ‘cheffy’ undertaking, the sort of thing you see on Masterchef or Great British Menu, often cooked sous-vide and too often without properly rendered fat. In reality, though, it isn’t difficult and shouldn’t feel daunting.

In this recipe, lamb shares the stage with one of the all-time great dishes, vignarola. It’s hard to overstate how much I love it and how delicious it is. As trainee chefs, we were always taught to cook green vegetables quickly, refreshing them in icy water; al dente was the holy grail. But cooked like this, for a little longer, they release an entirely new side to their flavour, unexpected, unique, and wonderful. To really make the most of it, buy fresh, excellent-quality ingredients.

Serves: 2

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Vignarola

Method

First Make the Vignarola

  1. Add the shallots, garlic, and bay leaves to a heavy-bottomed pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with a pinch of sea salt and set over a low heat. Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent but with no colour.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes. Have a bowl with cold water and the juice of a lemon ready and waiting. Then start by cutting around the heart of the artichoke with a very sharp knife. As the tough outer leaves fall away you will be able to get a better view of where the actual heart is. Trim as close as possible to the heart, dipping the artichoke in the lemony water as you go. This will stop the heart from oxidising. Once the outer leaves are removed, cut off the stalk and trim up the bottom.
  3. Then begin to remove the more tender inner leaves and then, finally, the furry looking ‘choke’ at the centre. Leave that artichoke in the water whilst you prep the other one.
  4. Once both are prepped, cut them in half and then each half into 4 wedges. Add the artichokes to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and a pinch more sea salt. Cover the pan with a cartouche and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, remove all the peas and broad beans from their pods and add to the pan. Stir together and then allow to simmer for a further 8 minutes.
  6. Add the gem and the mint sprigs and remove from the heat. Set to one side.

Now for the Lamb Rack

  1. Take the 3-bone rack of lamb out of the fridge, remove it from its packaging, and allow it to reach room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking.
  2. Preheat your oven to 160°C.
  3. Score the fat of the rack with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern, then season well with fine sea salt.
  4. Place a cast iron skillet over a low heat with half a tablespoon of oil. Lay the rack fat side down in the pan and begin to render the fat. Cook fat side down for around 10 minutes, moving the rack so that all of the fat renders and caramelises.
  5. Turn the heat up to medium and seal the rack on its other sides. Baste with the lamb fat that has collected in the pan. Once perfectly browned on all sides, transfer the rack to the oven for 2–3 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes.
  7. Return to the vignarola, remove the mint stalks, and taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish is a nice touch.
  8. Carve the rack between each rib bone and serve.

Order meat online

For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.

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  • We are firmly of the belief that our pork is as good as it has ever been, the breeding, the rearing, the dry ageing and of course the butchery. All of it functioning in harmony to provide us with some high-grade pork. Loin chops seem to be having their moment in the sun, currently a firm favourite amongst our restaurant community, and rightly so. A classic; the leaner eye meat enveloped by a lovely cover of fat, cut thick and cooked well, they are so, so good. A little less well known, but no less delicious, and a cracking option for sharing, our shoulder chops are a slightly different beast. We split our shoulders in half and age the so-called Boston butt, when ready, the shoulder chops are cut from this section. The eye meat is made up of the collar or neck fillet and has excellent natural marbling. You then get a little of the blade and the muscles that surround it, this is darker, more richly flavoured meat. You still get the cover of fat, which, once rendered, tastes incredible. All in all, a fantastic sharing chop and a slight point of difference from the loin chops. Both supremely delicious!
  • The process of developing a dish with chefs is a rewarding one, made all the more so when we have the chance to eat the end product. As was the case here upon a recent (ish) visit to @rambutan_ldn Conversations around the best steak to use for this dish began months ago and we were able to offer our expert advice as Sofia and her team fine-tuned the balance of flavours, spices and textures. A few different cuts were trialled, and, in the end, it was our rump steaks which triumphed! Their flavour and fat able to be carried by that rich and deep curry sauce, with brighter notes and acidity being offered up by the parsley temper and little pearls of onion. It is truly a triumph. A marriage of Yorkshire beef and traditional Sri Lankan flavours and we couldn’t be prouder to see it on the menu and being enjoyed by their lucky guests!
  • What salt should you use when cooking steaks and chops? Does it matter? Well, we have, in the past, taken some heat in the comments from people saying that we are using the wrong salt on our steaks. “You should be using fine salt!”, “flaky salt on steaks!! NO WAY!”, “It just falls off!”, to give you a few examples. So, to put the debate to bed we undertook an extremely controlled, scientific experiment to determine which salt is the best salt to use on your steaks. In a field, with a piece of goose skirt, a barbecue and two varieties of sea salt (that’s one important detail, to use sea salt, not table salt) and a desire to eat well seasoned steak. Poor us! Watch the video to find our conclusions, which will also feature in an academic journal soon – a seminal piece of scientific research. #sodiyum #flakysalt4life
  • A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
  • Take a little inspiration from our very own grill master @grylos when it comes to cooking your big, bone in steaks. This method takes time, skill and plenty of patience but the result is a deep, dark char, beautiful blushing pink flesh and melting buttery fat. We can safely say, after this day we spent in the field, that it is well worth the effort. Close to steak perfection. Plus, he knocked up a charred spring vegetable green sauce, which was an ideal foil for that most delicious of steaks – clever boy. The idea is to spend time building a char and crust with many short visits to the hottest part of the grill, interspersed with time away from the grill, somewhere warm, slowly coming up to temperature. Placing it directly on the coals at the end is a bit of a gimmick, however, it did yield excellent results, so maybe give it a go (only if you have good quality charcoal though!)! Steak perfection!!
  • To our friends down south, you might have noticed Yorkshire is still a good few weeks behind the march towards summer. The trees are only just coming into leaf in the Dales, especially up in Upper Wharfedale, and that gives us a little more time with the wild garlic. Here is @grylos with what feels like one of his best ideas to date. A proper use of those essential carcass balance cuts. Lamb hearts, though this would work just as well with tongues, sweetbreads or liver. Cooked simply, well seasoned, finished with a little lemon. Alongside it, wild garlic taken from the darker, shaded parts of the woodland where it is still fresh. Even if it has started to turn, it holds up. Treated like spinach, wilted down, then cooked with oil, salt and cream, left to reduce until it becomes rich and full of flavour. A brilliant little starter for our chefs blackboards, and something that will more than hold its own at home. A dish for the season, if ever there was one.
  • We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
  • A while back we had the pleasure of visiting @petea25 at the @cantonarms Arms, where we spoke about their ever evolving menu, a place that is not afraid to cook things until they are gone and then move on to something new. We saw how they treated the Swaledale pork chop, and it told you everything you needed to know. Cooked with care, handled properly, and full of flavour. It was, simply, delicious.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We are firmly of the belief that our pork is as good as it has ever been, the breeding, the rearing, the dry ageing and of course the butchery. All of it functioning in harmony to provide us with some high-grade pork. Loin chops seem to be having their moment in the sun, currently a firm favourite amongst our restaurant community, and rightly so. A classic; the leaner eye meat enveloped by a lovely cover of fat, cut thick and cooked well, they are so, so good. A little less well known, but no less delicious, and a cracking option for sharing, our shoulder chops are a slightly different beast. We split our shoulders in half and age the so-called Boston butt, when ready, the shoulder chops are cut from this section. The eye meat is made up of the collar or neck fillet and has excellent natural marbling. You then get a little of the blade and the muscles that surround it, this is darker, more richly flavoured meat. You still get the cover of fat, which, once rendered, tastes incredible. All in all, a fantastic sharing chop and a slight point of difference from the loin chops. Both supremely delicious!
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@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
The process of developing a dish with chefs is a rewarding one, made all the more so when we have the chance to eat the end product. As was the case here upon a recent (ish) visit to @rambutan_ldn Conversations around the best steak to use for this dish began months ago and we were able to offer our expert advice as Sofia and her team fine-tuned the balance of flavours, spices and textures. A few different cuts were trialled, and, in the end, it was our rump steaks which triumphed! Their flavour and fat able to be carried by that rich and deep curry sauce, with brighter notes and acidity being offered up by the parsley temper and little pearls of onion. It is truly a triumph. A marriage of Yorkshire beef and traditional Sri Lankan flavours and we couldn’t be prouder to see it on the menu and being enjoyed by their lucky guests!
1 week ago
735
View on Instagram |
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@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
What salt should you use when cooking steaks and chops? Does it matter? Well, we have, in the past, taken some heat in the comments from people saying that we are using the wrong salt on our steaks. “You should be using fine salt!”, “flaky salt on steaks!! NO WAY!”, “It just falls off!”, to give you a few examples. So, to put the debate to bed we undertook an extremely controlled, scientific experiment to determine which salt is the best salt to use on your steaks. In a field, with a piece of goose skirt, a barbecue and two varieties of sea salt (that’s one important detail, to use sea salt, not table salt) and a desire to eat well seasoned steak. Poor us! Watch the video to find our conclusions, which will also feature in an academic journal soon – a seminal piece of scientific research. #sodiyum #flakysalt4life
2 weeks ago
13215
View on Instagram |
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
3 weeks ago
462
View on Instagram |
4/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Take a little inspiration from our very own grill master @grylos when it comes to cooking your big, bone in steaks. This method takes time, skill and plenty of patience but the result is a deep, dark char, beautiful blushing pink flesh and melting buttery fat. We can safely say, after this day we spent in the field, that it is well worth the effort. Close to steak perfection. Plus, he knocked up a charred spring vegetable green sauce, which was an ideal foil for that most delicious of steaks – clever boy. The idea is to spend time building a char and crust with many short visits to the hottest part of the grill, interspersed with time away from the grill, somewhere warm, slowly coming up to temperature. Placing it directly on the coals at the end is a bit of a gimmick, however, it did yield excellent results, so maybe give it a go (only if you have good quality charcoal though!)! Steak perfection!!
1 month ago
1,28832
View on Instagram |
5/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
To our friends down south, you might have noticed Yorkshire is still a good few weeks behind the march towards summer. The trees are only just coming into leaf in the Dales, especially up in Upper Wharfedale, and that gives us a little more time with the wild garlic. Here is @grylos with what feels like one of his best ideas to date. A proper use of those essential carcass balance cuts. Lamb hearts, though this would work just as well with tongues, sweetbreads or liver. Cooked simply, well seasoned, finished with a little lemon. Alongside it, wild garlic taken from the darker, shaded parts of the woodland where it is still fresh. Even if it has started to turn, it holds up. Treated like spinach, wilted down, then cooked with oil, salt and cream, left to reduce until it becomes rich and full of flavour. A brilliant little starter for our chefs blackboards, and something that will more than hold its own at home. A dish for the season, if ever there was one.
1 month ago
1839
View on Instagram |
6/8
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
1 month ago
761
View on Instagram |
7/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A while back we had the pleasure of visiting @petea25 at the @cantonarms Arms, where we spoke about their ever evolving menu, a place that is not afraid to cook things until they are gone and then move on to something new. We saw how they treated the Swaledale pork chop, and it told you everything you needed to know. Cooked with care, handled properly, and full of flavour. It was, simply, delicious.
1 month ago
38110
View on Instagram |
8/8