If you end up with leftovers after a nice rack of lamb meal, you’ll no doubt want to hold on to it and eat it later. It can only be stored for so long though and soon you’ll know how to properly reheat it.
You can reheat a rack of lamb in all sorts of ways. Use of an oven, stove, microwave, grill, toaster oven or air fryer are all viable options.
Below we’ll be getting more in-depth at how to make use of all of these options, but which one would we recommend…?
We’ll be going into a number of different methods as this article goes on, since the right one for you might depend on the circumstances. But if you want our opinion on the best way to reheat a rack of lamb, it’d be using an oven.
The reason for this is that it’s the best way for the meat to retain its natural moisture. And it’s also the best for the same reason that an oven works so well at cooking it in the first place. That is to say, heating the food up nice and evenly.
You don’t want food to be unevenly cooked, with some parts burnt while other parts aren’t even done, right? Reheating is really no different. Having some areas of food scorching hot while the rest is still cold is no good.
Anyone who finds themselves using a microwave on a regular basis probably knows the struggle. That’s why, if at all possible, we recommend you use the oven for reheating purposes.
How To Reheat Rack Of Lamb In The Oven
You can probably guess what the first step is – of course it’s preheating the oven. The recommendation is to set it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once it’s properly heated up, then you can place the rack of lamb into a baking bowl. Wrap the meat up in aluminum foil, then put the bowl into the oven.
Set a timer to help you remember if possible, as it shouldn’t sit too long. Ten minutes is plenty. Once that passes, flip the rack of lamb and start the timer over, to ensure each side is properly heated.
Once this is done you can take the lamb out and let it sit for a spell before eating or serving.
Here’s the step-by-step summary of the above:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Wrap the rack of lamb in aluminum foil and place it in a baking bowl
Place it in the oven for ten minutes
Flip and let sit in the oven for another ten minutes
Take the lamb out and let it cool for a few minutes before consuming
Can Rack Of Lamb Be Reheated In The Microwave?
Now we discouraged this earlier, but of course sometimes it’s just not possible to use an oven. Maybe you don’t have the time or even don’t have a proper oven. And we get that.
In that case, using a microwave is possible but you should be careful about how you go about this. Microwaves can dry up meat in a hurry and nobody wants to see that.
Fortunately some precautions can be taken to minimize the damage. Keep the rack of lamb in a bowl or on a dish, obviously without aluminum foil this time. Try to add in some broth or water to help maintain some moisture.
Make sure you’re using a microwave-safe dish, and that the food is covered with a paper towel, preferably a damp one. Place the food in the microwave and ensure that it’s kept in the center as much as possible.
If the food is too close to the sides, the cooking will not be as even. From there, set the timer for two minutes to reheat the lamb. After this, take the rack of lamb out, flip it and repeat for another two minutes.
Here’s the step-by-step summary of the above:
Transfer the rack of lamb onto a microwave-safe dish
Place the rack of lamb in water or broth to retain moisture
Keep a damp paper towel over the meat
Place in the exact center of the microwave, heat for two minutes
This is another good option if an oven isn’t available. The only thing about this is that cooking on the stove tends to require more attention. But it’s faster than an oven and gets better results than a microwave.
What you’ll want to do here is preheat that stove to 350 degrees F once again. Keep a pan on the stovetop as you do this, with a slice of butter inside. Give it a minute or so to melt.
Then you can carefully place the lamb in there – tongs would be nice for safety here, if you have them. Let it heat like that for a few minutes, three or four, then pull the pan aside.
Carefully, using another tool like a spatula preferably, flip the meat and then resume heating. Another 2-4 minutes for this side should work well.
From there, let it cool for a bit and you’re good to go!
Here’s the step-by-step summary of the above:
Place butter in a pan, place it on the stovetop and heat to 350 degrees F
After it’s melted, carefully place the rack of lamb into the pan
Reheat for two to four minutes
Flip the meat, continue reheating for another two to four minutes
Let it cool down a little before consuming
Can You Reheat Rack Of Lamb On A Grill?
Using a grill is pretty similar to using a stove as far as reheating goes and it’ll take roughly as long too. Of course the only thing about grilling is that you need the weather to cooperate with you.
Place the lamb on the grill with some water or stock. That liquid should help keep the meat from sticking to the grill’s surface.
Amp up the flame and let it heat for around 2 to 4 minutes once again. Then flip the rack of lamb over and give it another 2 to 4 minutes to cook on that side as well.
Once more, you can set it aside to let it cool after that and it’ll be good to eat in a couple of minutes.
Here’s the step-by-step summary of the above:
Place the lamb on the grill alongside liquid, stock or water will do
Turn on the flame, heat for two to four minutes
Flip the meat, continue reheating for another two to four minutes
Let it cool down a little before consuming
Can You Use A Toaster Oven To Reheat A Rack Of Lamb?
Yes! The steps here are pretty much identical to the instructions for using an oven above. The only thing to note though is that a toaster oven is, of course, smaller than a conventional oven.
Therefore, you might want to break the rack of lamb apart into pieces and reheat them one at a time. This will take longer but is a better idea than stuffing too much in the toaster oven at once.
Can You Use An Air Fryer To Reheat A Rack Of Lamb?
The air fryer may not seem like the best choice for reheating since it seems like it could dry the meat out easily. But it’s also an option with the proper precautions taken.
Put them in an air fryer basket with a damp paper towel on top once more. Heat at a temperature of 325 and let cook for about ten minutes. That’s it! Air fryers are pretty simple to use.
What Does Lamb Taste Like?
The exact taste and texture of lamb meat will depend on the specific cut you’re talking about. But it is all lamb and there is a general answer we can give you. Lamb is pretty distinct from more common meats such as chicken, pork or beef.
Lamb has a pretty gamey and earthy taste to it. It’s also quite tender, thanks to it’s younger age. Note that lamb specifically refers to younger sheep, just as veal refers to the meat of young cows. For mature sheep, the correct term is ‘mutton’.
How Do You Thaw Out Frozen Lamb Meat?
It goes without saying that if you need to store lamb meat for extended periods of time, the freezer is the only option. And you definitely don’t want to reheat it while it’s still frozen – it’s best to thaw it out first.
And to do this, what you want to do is transfer the lamb from the freezer to the refrigerator. Let it sit in there for a while, with a general rule of thumb being one day per five pounds of meat.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to reheat a rack of lamb. Some might come more recommended than others, but the correct choice has a lot to do with your circumstances and what you have available.
If you have enough free time and a working conventional oven, that would be the recommended option for best results. If you need it done fast, a microwave can work in a pinch.
Or, if you’re looking for solid results in a decent enough time frame, reheating the rack of lamb on a stovetop or grill might suit your fancy.
