I am making a crown rack of lamb tomorrow, and today to prep I plan on getting some of the trimming done. I went to a new butcher this time around and sadly they left the extra layer of fat on the meat side of the racks which I want to remove (i'm a bit angry considering I paid about $30 extra because of that layer of fat).
Anyways – I know lamb doesn't have a lot of extra moisture of intramuscular fat. So, it would seem like it is a natural candidate for wet or dry brining. However despite a ton of searching I can't find anything referencing brining racks or crown racks of lamb. I know the amount of actual meat on each bone isn't huge so I am concerned about over-brining or washing out the delicate flavor of the lamb.
So, is brining lamb not a thing? Is there a specific reason to brine or not to brine lamb?
Best Answer
Why do you want to brine it? First, there really is no such thing as dry brining. It is salting. When brining, however, only salt and water penetrates. The result is a moister end product, but, depending on how long you brine, it can also change the texture. Some people enjoy brined proteins, others don't. Brining can also be used as a crutch in potential over-cook situations (like turkey, which has parts that cook at different rates). I would not brine lamb rack. You are probably going to cook it rare, to medium rare anyway, so there is no chance of drying it out.