Grilled Rack of Lamb with Eggplant Salad

Za’atar-crusted grilled lamb served with a charred eggplant and feta salad and homemade bacon-fat tortillas.

Ingredients

• 2 racks of lamb, frenched

Salt

• 3 tbsp za’atar, plus more for garnish
• Bacon fat tortillas: 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 cup chilled rendered bacon fat, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/4 cup minced scallions
• 1/2 large globe eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the salad
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cleaned
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tbsp mint, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar

Directions

1. For the tortillas: whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, then work in the bacon fat by hand. Add the water and scallions and mix to a dough. Knead until smooth, divide into 20 balls, cover and rest 20 minutes. Roll each into a 9-inch round, layer between parchment and refrigerate.
2. Trim excess fat from the lamb and season with salt and za’atar.
3. Grill the lamb over medium-high direct heat, meat-side up, for 5 minutes. Flip and cook about 10 minutes more for medium-rare, covering halfway through.
4. Coat the eggplant and leeks with olive oil, season, and grill until soft and charred, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Chop the grilled vegetables and toss with the cherry tomatoes, feta, mint, shallot, remaining olive oil, lemon juice and sherry vinegar.
6. Grill the tortillas about 30 seconds per side and keep warm. Top each with eggplant salad and lamb chops and finish with salt and more za’atar.

Notes

Andrew Zimmern’s grilled rack of lamb with a smoky eggplant-feta salad and bacon-fat tortillas.