Aussie Vegemite Glazed Lamb Rack

The simplicity of this Vegemite glazed lamb rack allows both the rich, gamey meat and the complexity of this iconic Aussie spread to shine.

I’d like to take a moment and give you a crash course in Australian comestibles. To truly address classic Aussie foodstuffs, we should start with those items that are neither classic nor (in some cases) Australian.

Not so Australian:

• Fosters: While technically sold in Australia, it’s about as far from a national beer as you can get. No one drinks this stuff. ‘Cept maybe visiting tourists.
• Bloomin Onions: I like to confuse gullible folks and convince them the bloomin onion is in fact our national flower. You will never see one of these in Australia, it’s a wholly American creation.
• Shimp. They’re prawns, mate.

Aussie as, bro:

• Meat Pies: Our version of “ballpark food”, the pastry encrusted pie with a meat gravy centre. You can make your own mini versions with this recipe.
• Tim Tams: The chocolate cookie so popular, it was reproduced in the US under licence. FYI, we call them biscuits, not cookies. And we call biscuits “scones”. It’s very confusing.
• Vegemite: the most Australian ingredient ever, made from spent brewers yeast. You can read ALL about Vegemite in this article on umami ingredients.

The thing about Vegemite is that most folks use it as a breakfast spread. But I’m pushing for it to become as staple in your pantry as Worcestershire sauce. It’s salty, funky and very concentrated and it awesome when paired with meat. Specifically, a gamey protein like lamb.

Though Australians joke about the special relationship New Zealanders have with sheep, we technically have more per capita than they do. Aussies eat a LOT of lamb. I kinda wish it were more popular over here, but luckily it’s pretty readily available. Some of the US domestic lamb is a little bland for my tastes. I’m not sure exactly why, perhaps they’ve selectively bred the more mild genes? I usually purchase Aussie lamb from Costco.

If you’re just not a lamb fan, I encourage you to still give this recipe for Vegemite glazed lamb a shot, it would be delicious on a beef roast like top round or even to boost some flavor in a tenderloin.

Recipe after the pics:

Vegemite Glazed Lamb Rack

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lb lamb rack
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoi sin sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon Vegemite

Instructions

1. If your rack comes with a fat cap still attached, you may want to trim it back, but this is an optional step.
2. Preheat an oven to 350f.
3. Place lamb rack on a board and season well on both sides with kosher salt.
4. In a small saucepan, combine all other ingredients and warm over low-medium heat until the mixture comes together and is about to bubble, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to leave it too much longer as it may burn. Separate the glaze into two small bowls (one will be used for the raw meat, one for the cooked dish).
5. Place a skillet or oven-proof frying pan over high heat and coat with a light spritz of spray oil.
6. Use a pastry brush to coat the rack with glaze on both sizes, then place in the pan to sear. Sear the rack, turning to ensure it's browning evenly. Sear about 2 minutes per side, then place the whole pan into the oven.
7. Cook until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130f on an instant read thermometer, about 10-15 minutes.
8. Once at temperature, remove from plan and place on a board then cover the rack loosely with foil. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
9. Slice the rack into cutlets and serve with a drizzle of the reserved glaze.