Category: Holiday

Slow Cooker Roasted Rack of Lamb

1.5 lbs Slow Roasted Rack of Lamb, with whole garlic cloves and rosemary, over cut Potatoes and Onions.

Easy Roasted Rack of Lamb

For all of you Slow Cooker fans out there, I put together a quick and easy Roasted Rack of Lamb recipe you can enjoy with ease. Thanks to the old “Set it and Forget it” method, you can prep this recipe hours in advance and walk away, with out a worry in the world, and back to an elegant meal. This is a “Well Done” recipe and, I don’t mean like a pat on the back. I’m talking about being cooked all the way through, like any roast should be, minimal ingredients and a few vegetables for a side.

Raw Rack of Lamb, dressed with garlic cloves, rosemary resting in a slow cooker with cut potatoes and onions.

Slow Cooking a Rack of Lamb

Personally, I prefer a pan seared rack of lamb that I can throw in the oven for 10 minutes or so but, that’s just me. I like my lamb medium rare and this recipe just isn’t that. Roasting cooks the meat all the way through.

The trick is to keep it tender and juicy and a slow cooker does just that. However, slow cookers made these days let out much of the moister right out of the pot and it sneaks out the sides of the crappy lids they’re now making. I firmly believe in trapping the moisture in there with a heavy glass lid. Some folks will just add water but, I’m telling you, you’ll never get the same results.

This is the first time I used a newer crock pot and I don’t like. If you’ve noticed recipes I’ve used in the past, I’m using a slow cooker from the 80’s, because they’re awesome, but my side handle broke off recently so I thought I’d give the new ones a try. I’ve been seeing the older Crock Pots, by Rival, showing up at my second hand stores and I think I’m going to start buying them up because these new ones suck!

Anyway, you might need to play with the roasting time, depending on the size of your Rack of Lamb. I cooked this 1.5 lbs rack for 6 hours and it turned out great. Honestly, it just needed gravy but, like I mention in the video tutorial, I highly recommend my Cherry Pie filling that can be used as a topping or glaze.

Roasted Rack of Lamb in a Slow Cooker with vegetables.

Roasted Rack of Lamb Ingredients

1 Rack of Lamb
2 Large Russet Potatoes, cut in chunks
1 Large Onion, Cut in Chunks
1 Sprig Rosemarry
8 Garlic Cloves

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste on both the Rack of Lamb and the Vegetables. Set your Slow Cooker on low and roast for 5 to 6 hours. I recommend adding a gravy or my Cherry Pie Filling as a Cherry Glaze to top the Lamb(below).

Slow Cooker Roasted Rack of Lamb video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.
Cherry Topping Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups Fresh Pitted Cherries
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1/8 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder (or just cinnamon)
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
a pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional, but it’s GREAT)
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Water

Just follow the instructions in the short video tutorial down below and I’ll show you exactly how to make a Cherry Glaze for the Rack of Lamb.

Cherry Pie Filling, Topping and/or Glaze video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Consider my other Lamb recipes: Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb, Lamb Chops with Aju, Grilled Lamb Chops with Pesto, Leg of Lamb with Sweet Chili Glaze, Mint Panko Rack of Lamb, American Greek Gyro.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala: 3 chicken breast cutlets with Marsala wine sauce, sautéed mushrooms and bacon.

The Best Chicken Marsala

I can’t say enough about this recipe. Braised Chicken never tasted better than with this Mushroom, Marsala and cream wine sauce. It’s very easy to make but the complexity of the sauce is derived from specific ingredients that change the flavor of the dish, if they’re not fresh and/or dried. The taste of dried Thyme or Oregano is a complete game changer if they’re not added fresh. Both still taste great, in my opinion, but change the flavor drastically, none the less. You might want to experiment with both to find where your tastes lie.

One Chicken cutlet and Mushroom and Marsal Wine Sauce served over Shell pasta.

Deepen and Enrich the Flavor

Season everything from the start. After I butterfly the chicken breast, I season with Kosher salt and pepper. I salt the sautéed mushrooms. I salt the water my pasta cooks in. I even add cooked bacon, which is salty. This may sound like a lot of salt but a little goes a long way.

I also add Spaghetti Sauce (Prego) and Lemon Juice. The tomato, from the sauce deepens the flavor and darkens the tone. Alternatives could be tomato paste or plain tomato sauce if you’d like. I’m betting that it could even be done with a squeeze of Ketchup. I add the lemon to the sauce while it’s cooking but, I find that it’s even more refreshing, adding a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, over the top of each serving, even more satisfying.

The wine I use in this dish is what gives this recipe its name, Marsala. It can be dry or sweet and most recipes call for dry Marsala wine but, I prefer mine sweet. Again, that’s just a personal preference so you decide what’s best for you.

Chicken Marsala “How to” video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Chicken Marsala Ingredients: Serves 2 to 3

1 Chicken Breast, Halved, Butterflied & Tenderized with a Mallet, then seasoned with Kosher Salt and Pepper and dredged in flour
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
3 tbsp Butter, add 2 for chicken and 1 for Mushrooms
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
5 oz Mushrooms
1 cup Marsala Cooking Wine, Dry is recommended but I used Sweet and loved it!
1/2 cup Whipping Cream/Half and Half
1/3 cup Marinara or Spaghetti Sauce
1 pinch Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped (optional)

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

This recipe can be served over your favorite pasta, rice, bread etc. and is often garnished with Scallions over the top. Just follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Chicken Marsala recipe.

Smoked Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs

3 lb package of Raw Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs, $4.98/lb.

The Best Beef Ribs

There’s nothing like good barbecue and these beef ribs are great for any grill. In fact, I’m going to show you how to smoke these Country Style ribs on a gas grill. There’s really nothing to it. In fact, in my opinion, it’s even easier than using a traditional smoker with virtually the exact same results. Don’t believe me? Then check this out.

4 Raw Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs in a ceramic dish, seasoned with Kosher Salt and Pepper.
4 Boneless Beef Ribs on the grill after 3 hours of smoking.
4 Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs completely smoked and resting in Aju.
2 whole Smoked Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs with 1 other sliced and another shredded, resting in Aju.
How to smoke country style boneless beef ribs on a gas grill by PoorMansGourmet.

Smoked Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs Ingredients:

Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs Ingredients:

3 lbs Boneless Beef Ribs
1 cup Beef Broth
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Grill and smoke the Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs over indirect heat at 225° Fahrenheit for 3 hours. Switch the meat around on the grill, spritz with Beef Broth and and probe one meat portion with a thermometer. When internal temp reaches 160° F, wrap with foil and add 1/4 cup of Beef Broth. Cook again over indirect heat until the internal temp reaches 205° Fahrenheit, then remove from the grill. Wait 10 minutes to cut, shred and serve.