Pecan-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard 
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves dried fresh finely chopped
• 5.5 pounds lamb rib roasts (8-rib)
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon oregano dried fresh finely chopped
• 1 cup pecans 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• food processor
• roasting pan
• kitchen thermometer
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well.
2. Spread mustard mixture over meaty portion of lamb racks; set aside.
3. Process pecans in a food processor until ground.
4. Combine pecans, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, butter, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Pat pecan mixture over mustard-coated lamb.
5. Place roasts on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side out and ribs crisscrossed. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of lamb, making sure it does not touch bone. Roast at 425 for 35 to 40 minutes or until thermometer registers 150 (medium-rare). (Cover roasts loosely with foil after 25 minutes, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning.)
6. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
7. Lamb know-how: When you're preparing racks of lamb, let a butcher do some of the work for you. Ask him to french the chine bones (remove fat and gristle) and to trim the cap fat, leaving only the tender eye meat and resulting in a beautiful entre presentation.