Red Chile - Piñon - Crusted Lamb Chops
6 servings
2 full racks (16 to 18 chops) lamb
2 1/4 cups red chile sauce (from powder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (softened)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut fat off back end of bones of lamb rack. Rub 3/4 cup red chile sauce over meat on both sides of lamb rack, cover, and let marinate in refrigerator overnight. Next day, remove lamb rack from refrigerator. In medium-size skillet over medium high heat, add oil and sear lamb rack in pan for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Remove meat from skillet.
In food processor, pulse bread until finely ground into small crumbs, measuring 1 cup. Add pine nuts and pulse again for 30 seconds, until nuts are coarsely ground. Add softened butter, salt, black pepper and pulse an additional 15 seconds. Remove crust from food processor and place into bowl. Press crumbs onto backside of rib rack, covering each lamb chop all the way up to exposed bone, until meat on lamb rack is completely covered. Crust should be approximately 1/4 inch thick.
In roasting pan, place crusted lamb rack with crust side up and bake for 12 minutes for medium rare chops or longer for more well- done chops. Remove from oven and place rack on wood cutting board. Place remaining Red Chile Sauce in saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Slice each chop from rack and serve 2 to 3 chops per person with approximately 1/4 cup of Red Chile Sauce.
RED CHILE SAUCE:
Rinse, stem and seed 36 medium dried red New Mexico or Anaheim chiles (about 6 cups) and place them in pot filled with water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until the chiles are tender ( soft and pliable). Drain. Heat 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil for approximately 2 minutes, until golden brown. Place the cooked chiles, along with the sautéed garlic and salt, into a blender or food processor. Blend to a thick puree. Add 2 to 3 cups of chicken stock and blend, until desired consistency of sauce. Blend for another minute. Press sauce through fine sieve and serve. This sauce can be made ahead of time.
