Rack at 88 degrees: Lamb lollipops · 524

The rib section frenched into a curved rack — the showpiece cut. Short fibres and a fat cap make it forgiving on high heat, which is why tasting menus and holiday tables both reach for it. Expensive because each animal only yields two small racks. Frenched bones should be clean and even; a thick, creamy fat cap is a feature, not waste.

Rest ten minutes after roasting so the juices settle between the bones. Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Lamb lollipops.” Use 88 degrees and 88 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat.

At the counter, read the use on Rack before the photograph. 88 degrees is the internal heat, “Lamb lollipops” is the dish, and 88 is the stage of the fire. Marbling alone does not split stew from grill. Often sold as 'spring lamb' when under a year — milder and smaller than hogget.