Weekends are a bit inconsistent for me. I can be really busy running around with errands to do, or it can be pretty chill. Since weekends are the days I am resolute in my commitment to smoke meat, weather permitting, how busy I am with other activities will determine what I’ll make.
This past Saturday was a bit busy, as it always is when I have an order to pick up from Collier’s of Centreville. On the prior Tuesday, we attended a class on wines from Northern Italy, and as usual, there was no lack of bottles to add to my collection.
Hello Clarice
That meant I needed something for dinner that night that would be relatively quick. I’d done rack of lamb before and remembered it being a relatively fast cook. So I stopped by my local Wegman’s and picked up two racks.
I have to pause for just a second here to vent: I need to find a good butcher near me. Wegman’s has good meat, better than most grocery stores, but for certain items, like rack of lamb, their selection basically screams, “What do you want from us? This is all we got.”
The quality of the lamb I got was fine, but it wasn’t the kind of rack that produces those big lollipops that you expect to get when dining at a more upscale restaurant.
But this is what I had, so I just moved forward.
My rub for the racks was actually a paste consisting of:
- 1 Cup Italian flat leaf parsley
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 5 Cloves garlic
- 1 Shallot
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
I combined all ingredients into the processor and let it go while slowly pouring in the olive oil until I got the paste consistency I needed. I took a basting brush and applied to both racks. I accomplished this part a bit early, so the racks stood in the refrigerator until I was ready to smoke. While I fired up the smoker, I put them on the counter to get to room temperature.
When preparing the Weber Smokey Mountain, I used cherry wood to add a little fruit flavor to the herb-forward rub. Once the temperature reached 250, the racks went on.
Like before, the cook was fast. The meat was almost at 128 degrees in about an hour and 15 minutes. There was a bit of an issue, and I’m not sure if this reflects the quality of meat or something I did (probably the latter): The thermometer for my Flame Boss 400 registered 128 degrees, but when I double checked with my probe thermometer, there were parts that were only 118 degrees (or so). The temperature wasn’t consistent throughout.
Once I got more areas of the rack to register 128, I took it off. However, when I sliced into them, a lot of the lollipops were very rare… seemingly too rare. My fiancée remarked, “Well if YOU think they’re too rare…” Just to be sure I wasn’t going to poison my family, I put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about five minutes. That seemed to do the trick. But again, I’m not sure what caused the inconsistency.
The Wine: 2016 Chateau la Fleur Haut Carras
C’est la vie. Speaking of speaking French, let’s talk about the wine!
While I was in Collier’s picking up my order, I browsed the selection of Bordeaux. One of the things I love about attending classes at this shop is that you become familiar with wines that you ordinarily wouldn’t think to get at Total Wine or would be available at the grocery store. You might get a wine from France, but most likely it would be a mass-produced bottle meant to please as many people as possible.
The classes at Collier’s make sure you taste wine from a global perspective. If the class focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, you’ll get wines from California and South America, yes. But because of the rich tradition that spans thousands of years in a country like France, Collier’s will include at least one Bordeaux so that you can really get a sense of what the full expression of Cab Sav should be.
I picked out this particular bottle because the price point wasn’t obscene but I trusted that it reflected a good quality.
The wine had a very profound nose, with big black fruits and hints of cigar, leather, and oak. On the tongue, many of those elements came out, as well. The acidity was medium-plus and the tannins were strong. I didn’t even notice them at first because the fat from the lamb broke them up. When I finished the lamb and took some additional sips, they were definitely there, sticking to my teeth and gums.
A little bit about the wine: Of course, it’s a Bordeaux which means Cabernet Sauvignon as the predominant grape, often blended with Merlot, as well as Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
The Pauillac region is a commune located between Saint-Estephe and Saint Julien on Bordeaux’s Medoc peninsula. The region is known as home to some of the world’s most famous and expensive red wines that thrive in the area’s gravel soils.
From Wine-Searcher.com:
Over hundreds of vintages, the châteaux and their winemakers have become very skilled at emphasizing the individuality of their vineyards, and there is general agreement that the styles of the top three châteaux are discernibly different. Overall, however, there is still an identifiable Pauillac wine style: full, rich, and characterized by the classic cassis-and-cedarwood aromas of oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was money well spent. The wine was bold and an ideal expression of a Bordeaux wine. Most importantly, it paired perfectly with the evening’s dish.
I’m going to do rack of lamb again, just to see if I can get the temperature of the meat more consistent next time, and I’ll probably pick up another Bordeaux to enhance my enjoyment.
Cheers!