The Beatrice Inn is perhaps best known as the famously chic subterranean lounge that dominated downtown Manhattan nightlife in the mid-to-late 2000s. The former Prohibition-era speakeasy located in a West Village brownstone catered to a hard-partying mix of celebrities, editors, fashionistas, artists, socialites and other assorted libertines. After its closure for building code violations in 2009, the Beatrice Inn was taken over by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and transformed into an upscale steakhouse. But it was only after chef Angie Mar bought the Beatrice in 2016 that the formerly notorious late-night haunt became an acclaimed culinary destination.
Mar's elevated chophouse menu led Food and Wine to name her one of America's Best New Chefs in 2017 and dub her "the First Lady of Meat." Mar is now doubling down on that memorable sobriquet with her new cookbook, Butcher + Beast: Mastering the Art of Meat, that is brimming with meaty recipes, spanning from Milk-Braised Pork Shoulder to Bone Marrow-Bourbon Creme Brulee. It's also illustrated with Polaroid photos by Johnny Miller that artfully evoke the glory days of the old Beatrice's bleary-eyed glamour.
Below, Mar shares a favorite recipe from Butcher + Beast for roasted rack of lamb that's bound to impress at your next dinner party. Read on to find out how to make it.
Chef Angie Mar digging into a meal at Beatrice Inn.
"One of my dad’s specialities is a rack of lamb glazed with orange marmalade, which he always made in the summer for backyard barbecues and pool parties," Mar writes. "What I love most about it is that as it cooks he continues to glaze it, so all the sugars start to caramelize and the top ends up crispy, almost like Brulee. My brothers would get the meat and give me the bones when we were kids, which was always my favorite part."
Roast Rack of Lamb
"I love the little bits of crunchy-tender, savory-sweet meat closest to the bones, where the marmalade has almost crystallized around the cartilage. This version is very much my homage to my father’s dish, with a more updated cooking technique. The in-and-out roasting process creates a perfectly even pink color in the lamb, so even it almost looks like it’s been cooked sous vide, without any special equipment."
Roast Rack of Lamb with Orange and Summer Mints Serves 4
2 lamb racks, trimmed and Frenched, fat and finger meat reserved and any chine bones reserved, 3 1/2-4 pounds (1575-1800g) total
Salt
Pepper
Orange glaze:
Reserved finger meat and bones from lamb racks [should be about 340g scrap meat and 483g bones]
8 cups (1896ml) chicken stock
2 oranges
1/4 cup (47g) sugar
1 tablespoon (15g) salt
Mint sauce:
1/4 cup (55g) mint, chopped
1/8 cup (26g) black anchovy, chopped
1/4 cup (35g) parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon (5g) salt
1/2 cup (118ml) olive oil
Make orange glaze: In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the bones and finger meat until deep mahogany-hued, 10-12 minutes. (You don’t need to add any oil or fat because enough will render off the bones.) Pour off the rendered fat and return the pot to medium heat.
Add chicken stock to deglaze, scraping up any fond [browned bits] from the bottom, then increase heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Decrease heat to low and reduce liquid by half, 50-60 minutes.
Add the juice of both oranges, plus 2 strips of orange rind and the sugar. Reduce liquid by half, another 35-40 minutes. The glaze should have a very sticky consistency from all the collagen in the bones, but still be liquidy, with a satin finish on the back of a spoon. Strain out the solids and discard, check for seasoning and set aside.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Season lamb racks on all sides with salt. Place on a rack in a baking dish, fat side up, and roast for 7-8 minutes. Remove and flip the lamb to bone side up, and roast for another 7-8 minutes. Remove and rest the lamb for 10 minutes, and during this time lower the oven temperature to 250°F.
Return the lamb to the oven, bone side up, and roast for 5 minutes. Remove and flip to fat side up, then baste the meat with the reserved orange glaze.
Return to the oven for another 2 minutes, then baste again, and roast another 3 minutes. Remove and brush one last time with the glaze, and season with 10-15 cracks of freshly ground black pepper on the fat side. Rest meat for 10-12 minutes while making the mint sauce. As it rests, the meat’s internal temperature should come to about 115° for medium rare.
Make the mint sauce: In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine. Check for seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl.
To serve, cut the lamb into double chops, and serve with any leftover glaze and mint sauce alongside.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: About 2.5 hours
Yield: 4-5 servings Lamb
Orange Glaze: 250ml/ 8 fl. Oz
Mint Sauce: 530g/ 18.6 oz/ 3 cups
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