Channeling Dahmer

We had a dinner party with friends on Saturday night with the theme being recipes by Giada De Laurentiis. We all did some prep work at home and came together to complete the dishes at my house. The protein which I plucked out of the Giada pile, was Crispy Lamb with a Honey Mascarpone Sauce.

I had to go for the lamb as I like making things at these dinner parties that I don't usually take the time for. Little did I know that finding rack of lamb in Racine is like hunting for the Holy Grail. I called multiple grocery stores only to hear 'NO'. I popped into two stores, asked within the meat department...one butcher laughed at me and the other said that this cut of meat was "too expensive for Racine". Finally, I called up a supplier of meat to restaurants in the area, and hooray, they had it.

I've worked with rack of lamb before and apparently have lived in blissful ignorance in regards to the butchering process of this fine cut. Historically, my racks have come vacuum sealed, with almost all the fat trimmed, and beautifully frenched little tips. Let's just say that this "rack" that my hubby brought home was more of a ribcage. Spinal cord, check. Full on meat and fat all the way to ends of the ribs, uh-huh. I had to go to a very dark, primal place to even think about dismantling this sucker.

Ask me how I did it? With an electric hack-saw. Yep, right down the spinal cord. Two more diagonal cuts to completely rid us of that pesky backbone and then I had the frenching to do. Let me just tell ya, when I was done butchering this lamb (which took well over an hour), the corner of my kitchen where the dismantling took place was covered with: 1. blood 2. fat 3. bone 4. marrow. You must be smacking your lips right about now, right? Well, I knew that all the blood (literally) and sweat that it took to do this, I would be enjoying myself some tasty lamb that night. Did I ever.

Giada, thank you. It was delicious. Even Karri, who shys away from any protein that doesn't cluck, gobble, or oink, had a piece and liked it (or, so she says). And man, that sauce. I think I could just make that sauce and eat it by the spoonful while watching some sappy chick flick. It's that good.

Enjoy my before and afters of this butchering process. Please don't be afraid to leave your children with me.