1/2cupWhite winea dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc.
1Onionroughly chopped into wedges
1Fenneltops removed and bulb roughly chopped into wedges
2heads of Garlictops removed to expose garlic cloves
2Lemons
For garnish, if desired
Olives
Lemon wedges
Pomegranate seeds
Fresh parsleyminced
Instructions
Prep the ribs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, adjusting the oven racks so that the pot can slice in easily from the middle rack.
Remove the lamb ribs from the package and pat dry.
Trim any excess fat from the ribs, if needed, leaving a 1/4" fat cap over the meaty surface.
Flip the ribs and remove the membrane from the back by sliding a butter knife under the silverskin and gently pulling up. Using a paper towel to help your grip, gently peel back the membrane from the ribs.
Rub the all over with the mustard.
In a small bowl, combine the spices, and liberally coat the ribs on both sides.
Place the roughly chopped onion, fennel, garlic and lemon in the bottom of a braiser or roasting pan.
Pour in the white wine, then nestle the seasoned lamb ribs over top of the onions and veggies
Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven to cook.
Braise the lamb
Place the pot in the over and braise the lamb ribs for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.
Brown the lamb ribs
Carefully remove the lid and baste the ribs with the cooking liquid.
Allow the ribs to continue to cook, uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temp reaches 190 degrees F and is fork tender with the probe of your digital thermometer.
Rest and serve
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the lamb ribs to a clean cutting board. Baste once again with the liquid and tent with foil to rest for 10 minutes.
Once rested, slice the lamb between the rib bones to serve.
Garnish with olives, lemon zest and wedges, pomegranate seeds and freshly minced parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Notes
Pulse the herb blend in a clean coffee grinder or use a mortal and pestle for a finer blend when seasoning the lamb.
According to the USDA, lamb is safe to eat at 145 degrees F. However, for this tough and fatty cut, we like treating them like any other type of ribs, and cooking them longer, to a higher internal temperature allowing the fat to render, the muscle fibers and connective tissue to break down, and the meat to become tender.