Recipe courtesy of Five Sixty Restaurant by Wolfgang Puck

Cilantro-Mint Vinaigrette

1 egg yolk
2 limes, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 medium garlic clove
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese chile sauce (Sambal recommended)
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
6 sprigs of mint
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
pinch of ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups peanut oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Add all ingredients except the peanut and sesame oils in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly pour the oils into the blender while running on medium speed. The sauce should become thick and creamy.

Lamb Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Mix together until sugar is dissolved. Marinate lamb for 1 hour.

Hunan Style Eggplant Sauce

1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup rice wine for cooking
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese chile sauce

In a hot sauté pan, sauté the garlic lightly in oil. Carefully add the rice wine. Cook off the alcohol and reduce the amount of liquid by half. Add rice vinegar and sugar, and reduce until sauce has syruplike consistency. When thickened, add the soy and chile sauces.

Preparing the Lamb Chops

Marinate your lamb rack in the Lamb Marinade for one hour. When it is ready, remove the lamb, and season lightly with salt and pepper. The best way to cook the lamb is on a charcoal grill, but you can easily grill it indoors on an electric grill, or even use your broiler. High heat is key—you want the sugars in the marinade to caramelize and make the lamb a little crispy. Grill or broil to your desired doneness; medium rare is recommended. When lamb is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute themselves in the meat.

To Present the Lamb

When serving the lamb, slice between the bones and straight down. This will separate the rack into chops. Drizzle the chops with Cilantro-Mint Vinaigrette. Serve the Eggplant Sauce on the side, or underneath the lamb.

Useful Tips for Purchasing Ingredients

Ask your butcher for a rack of lamb that is Frenched, which means the bones will be cleaned of excess cartilage and connective tissue.

Chinese chile sauce can easily be found in your grocer’s international aisle. A good brand is Sambal Oelek. It is a ground chile and garlic sauce that is bright red, has good heat, and has amazing flavor.

Make sure you choose a quality soy sauce. Flavors can vary widely. A higher quality fermented soy like Kikkoman is a good choice and readily available.