Rack Of Lamb With A Merlot Glaze And Cherry Reduction Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 cups merlot or 2 cups other red wine
• 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted (i have very successfully substituted bottled morello cherries)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 cups lamb stock or 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (750 ml) bottle merlot
• 1 1/2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 lamb racks, excess fat trimmed and bones frenched (1 1/2 to 2 lbs. each)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• rosemary sprig, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the sauce; combine the wine, cherries, garlic and shallot in a saucepan over high heat and reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.
• 2 add the stock, decrease the heat to medium, and reduce until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 3 add the butter and stir until melted.
• 4 season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 5 keep warm until you are ready to serve.
• 6 preheat oven to 300*f.
• 7 to prepare the glaze, combine the wine, vinegar, shallot and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce until about 1/2 cup liquid remains, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 8 set aside until you are ready to use it.
• 9 to prepare the lamb, season the racks well with salt and pepper.
• 10 heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking hot.
• 11 add as many of the racks as will fit without overcrowding the pan, meat side down, and sear well, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a sheet pan.
• 12 continue searing the remaining racks.
• 13 baste the racks well with the glaze.
• 14 set the pan in the oven and roast, basting every 5 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135*f for medium-rare doneness about 20 minutes.
• 15 remove the racks from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes, then slice.
• 16 to serve, place the slices on a warm serving platter and drizzle with some of the sauce.
• 17 garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve warm, with any extra sauce on the side.