Racking Up the Protein With Lamb

Protein is very important for strong muscles and bones. Lean protein helps achieve weight loss. I love meat—it has riboflavin, vitamin B12, tyrosine, and the FoodTrient zinc—but I enjoy it in moderation, which protects against cardiovascular disease. I also am careful about eating cured meats, which can aggravate joints and promote gout.

Whenever possible, I use grass-fed beef over corn-fed beef because cows were created to eat grass, not corn. The meat from animals that graze grass—cows, lambs, or even buffalo—contains more of the good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids and less of the bad-for-you omega-6s. And I make sure I buy meat from farms that treat their animals well by not injecting them with hormones or feeding them too many antibiotics.

Lamb’s vitamin B12 is good for energy, and its lysine helps repairing tissue. Garlic’s many compounds, including allicin, work in tandem to create a relaxing effect on artery walls, keeping them free of excess cholesterol and minimizing inflammation. I use garlic with black pepper and horseradish to spice up this rack of lamb. New Zealand lamb is lower in fat, cooks faster, and is more tender than American varieties such as Colorado lamb.

Spiced Rack of Lamb

New Zealand rack of lamb (about 1 lb.)
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbs. prepared horseradish
1-2 tsp. minced rosemary
1-2 tsp. minced thyme
1-2 tsp. minced parsley
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbs. melted butter

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Sprinkle the rack of lamb with the salt and pepper.
3. Sear the lamb, fat side down, in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Turn over and sear for 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and place in a roasting pan.
4. Mix the garlic and horseradish. Spread over the lamb.
5. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Fold in the melted butter.
6. Pat the herb-breadcrumb mixture over the lamb and roast at 450 degrees for 10 minutes for rare, 12 minutes for medium rare, or 15 minutes for medium to well done.