Recipes: Lamb & Goat

Slow Roasted Goat Rack Baked in Parchment

A bone-in loin roast (rack) is always a good choice, especially for a special occasion or celebration. But there’s more ways to cook than just roasting in the oven and trying to pin point a specific temperature. Today, we’re going to share with you, hands-down, the easiest way to roast a rack of lamb or goat. No thermometers, no tough outer rib meat, and most importantly, no chance of overcooking. Just delicious, tender meat falling off the bone. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Slow roasted goat rack with green beans and mushrooms.

Why This Recipe Works

The secret of the recipe has to do with the differences between fast and slow cooking. When muscle fibers get heated, they tighten up and contract. Contraction and tightening is good because it gives texture to the meat, similarly how a steak tightens up. But too much tightening and the meat will overcook and dry out.

Slow cooking at low temperatures is more forgiving, and has a tenderizing effect, slowly breaking down the meat until it falls off the bone. The only thing to consider is that slow cooking cuts of lamb or goat is just that, slow. Expect at least 2-4 hours for whatever cut you’re cooking to break down and get tender.

Parchment is part of the magic, allowing the meat to brown gently, while holding in some moisture.

 

Just like Chef Tham’s recipe for lamb cooked in parchment, plenty of cuts are good cooked low and slow. The rack, in particular, is delicious since it’s covered in a layer of fat that melts, basting the meat as it cooks. Roasted quickly, the meat covering the bones, if it hasn’t been frenched, will be much more chewy than the loin eye itself.

The loin eye and the ribs are two separate muscles, with different cooking times. This isn’t a bad thing, but cooking slow until the muscles break down eliminates any disparity in when it’s finished, and gives you a rack of goat or lamb that eats like pot roast with a rib attached, covered in deliciously crisp, rendered fat.

Seasonings can be imparted to the goat rack however you like, too, or left out. A simple rub could be nothing more than salt and pepper, or something with a little more kick like the coffee rub Chef Bergo outlines below. Use your imagination. We dare you to eat just a single chop!

Begin trimming with the fat of the rack pointed up at you.
Score the fat with a cross-hatch pattern to help the fat render (optional)
Remove the half-moon piece of cartiledge from the shoulder end of the loin.
Remove the connective tissue on the bottom of the rack (optional)

Chef Alan Bergo

This recipe is by James Beard Award-winning Chef Alan Bergo. He’s a chef from Minnesota and author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora. Learn more about Chef Alan at foragerchef.com. 

Looking to buy lamb or goat online? Shepherd Song Farm: Grass to table. We raise lambs & goats traditionally, humanely and sustainably. 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Never Confined, no Hormones, Grains or Animal Byproducts. Born, raised and processed in the U.S.A. Good for you and good for the environment.

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Print

Slow Roasted Goat Rack Baked in Parchment

Slow-roasted rack of goat or lamb is like pot roast combined with fall-off-the-bone ribs. Perfect for a special occasion or when you don't want to worry about cooking to a specific temperature. Serves 2-4 as a light entrée.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Coffee Rub, Goat, Parchment
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 15kcal
Cost 10

Equipment

  • Baking Parchment
  • 1 Baking sheet or cast iron skillet

Ingredients

Seasonings

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons finely ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Trim and score the rack

  • Using a paring knife, remove the half-moon shaped piece of cartilage from the shoulder, then score the fat just deep enough to penetrate it with a cross-hatch pattern to help fat render (see pictures above).
  • Remove the connective tissue from the bottom of the rack (see pictures above-optional)

Rub and roast

  • Season the rack all over with salt and fresh thyme if using. Mix the rub seasonings, then apply the coffee rub powder to the rack, turning the rack over in the powder to help it adhere.
  • Put the rack bone-side down on the parchment, then sprinkle any remaining rub powder over the top. It should seem like an excessive amount of seasoning on top of the meat, but this will help make a delicious crust. Wrap the meat in parchment and refrigerate overnight (recommended) or cook.
  • To cook the rack of goat, bake the packet in a pan (cast iron is great) to catch the fat for 4 hours at 250 degrees, then serve. (See below for tips on slicing/serving, as it will be delicate when it's done cooking)

Notes

Getting perfect slices
Cooked like this, the lamb will fall apart a bit as you serve it. For perfect slices, chill the lamb after cooking, then cut into slices and gently reheat.
Making a pan sauce
To make a pan sauce from the dripping, scrape all of the drippings from the parchment into a small sauce pan, sprinkle over a tablespoon of flour and cook until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup of white wine, cook down by half, then add 1 cup of lamb stock. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, adjust the seasoning for salt, and serve.
Cooking a whole goat leg 
You can use this method with a whole leg, but you'll need to double the cooking time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1186IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

With green beans and chanterelle mushroom pickles.

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