Sous Vide Rack of Lamb with Green Herb Crust

Sous vide rack of lamb coated with a crust of fresh green herbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Even better, you can make it a few days in advance!

You know the feeling when you are anxiously trying something new and aren’t sure about the result, then it ends up blowing you away? You are like, “Holy cow, I did it!” That’s how I felt when I did this green herb-crusted sous vide rack of lamb. It’s an impressive main dish for any holiday and gathering!

Why Sous Vide Rack of Lamb?

Cooking lamb sous vide has undeniable advantages. 

• A rack of lamb is not cheap! I am not sure about you, but I get nervous when I deal with an expensive cut of meat such as beef tenderloin for Beef Wellington, lamb chops, a whole leg of lamb, a ribeye or a Porterhouse. I fear overcooking them. Lamb racks are leaner and smaller, which makes it even more nerve-wracking when cooking with traditional methods. With sous vide cooking, however, it’s nearly impossible to overcook it, and you get this perfect medium-rare result from edge to edge!
• Cooking nice and slow at a precise temperature followed by a quick, high-heat sear gives you a nice brown crust with evenly cooked and tender meat.
• You can get creative by adding more flavor when searing. Basting with butter and aromatics such as a few cloves of garlic and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary is one way, and coating it with a green herb crust is another way, which we’ll get into shortly.

It totally takes the stress away during holidays or gatherings. A properly cooked rack of lamb as the main dish is not only visually impressive but a true crowd-pleaser. The prep work for this sous vide rack of lamb takes practically no time, and you can make it ahead. All you need to do on the big day is finish it off.

Sous Vide Rack of Lamb Time and Temperature

If you use a KitchenBoss G320 Sous Vide Cooker, the rack of lamb cooking time and temperature are already built-in; they are one of 20 programs that come along with the machine. All you need to do is to select the rack of lamb program on the cooker’s TFT color screen and press start. The preset time and temperature for medium doneness are 135°F (57°C) for 2 hours. 

But if you are using a different sous vide machine and would like to experiment with different doneness, here’s a quick reference chart.

Sous Vide Rack of Lamb Temperature	Time	Doneness
126°F (52°C)	2 hours	Rare
131°F (55°C)	2 hours	Medium-rare
135°F – 140°F (57°C – 60°C)	2 hours	Medium
145°F – 149°F (63°C – 65°C)	2 hours	Medium-well
158°F (70°C)	2 hours	Well-done

The Green Herb Crust

To take your masterpiece—an evenly-cooked-from-edge-to-edge rack of lamb—to a whole next level, this green herb crust is a must! Here’s what you need and how to make it. 

• First and foremost, fresh herbs. Lots of them! The keyword here is fresh. Do not use dry herbs for the crust. Basil, mint, parsley, thyme, or even dill make a great combination.
• Next, freshly grated parmesan cheese. Adding parmesan to the herb mixture creates another in-depth flavor to the crust. It also helps make everything come together.
• Last but not least, plain breadcrumbs. Whether you choose to toast them in a hot pan on the stove or bake them in the oven together with the lamb to finish, the breadcrumbs are what make the crust crispy and golden. 

To coat your lamb well with the green herb crust and make sure the goodies stay where they are supposed to be, we apply a generous layer of Dijon mustard on the lamb after searing. 

To finish in the oven, dip the lamb in the combined crust mixture and bake at 325°F (180°C) for 3 minutes to crisp it up. 

As usual, I finished it on the stovetop which resulted in no less. Before you add the breadcrumbs to the green herb mixture, toast them in a hot pan for a minute or two until crisp and lightly golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in all the fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and a pinch of salt if desired. (I chop my herbs. You can use a blender for the job). 

Now, pour the whole thing on your Dijon-coated lamb to cover completely. It’s glorious!

Gear You Need

Before you roll up your sleeves, let’s get you geared up first. You’ll need: 

• A sous vide machine. I used KitchenBoss G320 Sous Vide Cooker for this recipe. The biggest difference between KitchenBoss and Anova is the 20 built-in programs that display vibrantly on its TFT color screen, which is 100% waterproof if you’re wondering. This function allows you to cook a full category of food sous vide without considering the time and temperature setting. The built-in recipes include steak, lamb, pork, seafood, chicken, duck, vegetables, and dessert. Just select and press start. Let KitchenBoss do the rest.
• A large pot that’s big enough to hold your rack of lamb and still have room for the water to circulate.
• A vacuum sealer, ideally, and a vacuum sealer bag, or
• A Ziploc-style plastic bag and use the water displacement method to sous vide. 
• A heavy-duty skillet such as a cast-iron skillet. 

What to Serve with Sous Vide Rack of Lamb

Since I had a lot of fresh herbs left from making this recipe, I thought I’d put them to good use. This Fresh Herb Salad with Feta and Chickpeas paired very well with the lamb. I would highly recommend you give it a try.

Also, here are some other side dish recommendations for you to ponder.

• Healthy Quinoa Salad
• Classic Hummus
• Minty Buttery Green Peas
• Arugula Pear Salad with Tahini Dressing
• Mediterranean Lentil Salad
• Cauliflower Gratin
• Garlic Herb Hasselback Potatoes 

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