Rack of Lamb ready to serve. Photo by Liddie Martinez 
By LIDDIE MARTINEZEspanola Valley
I come from a very long line of shepherds who settled in the northern hills of El Rito and La Madera in the late 1500s. My mother’s generation of the Ortega and Gonzales families, who were in this line of business, was the last to live on that working farm up north.
When I was a kid, she and Grandma both shared lots of memories about those hard working days, their fun times at dances held at the SPMDTU, and the long periods of time (months) when the women were left alone to run the ranch because Grandpa and all the sons were tending the sheep.
It made for a very resilient group of women who made great mentors for the next generation of women and broke barriers as they entered the workforce at a time when a woman working outside the home was still frowned upon.
We had a small farm when I was growing up, raised a few lambs, a pig, goats, rabbits, and chickens and grew most of the vegetables we served at our table. There was no wondering about where our food came from or worries about antibiotics, growth hormones or pesticides. The chickens kept the bug population down and old techniques were used to plant groupings of vegetables that supported each other like beans, squash and corn, which were always planted in the same space.
This meant everything we ate was super fresh, pesticide free and nothing was wasted. In the spring we always welcomed the change in the season by butchering a lamb before the Easter family gathering. Roasted rack of lamb was a favorite served with a fresh pot of pinto beans and some hot red chile. This delicious and tender dish is what I like to serve for special occasions.
I make mine in the fire pit wrapped in foil and then bundled in burlap sacks that have been soaked in water overnight. They are then placed over hot coals and buried to cook over night; however, you can get a similar result by using a covered clay roasting dish and baking at a low temperature. You can also make a rub with the same ingredients and marinate overnight or just sprinkle on before baking. The flavors are amazing and the meat will fall right off the bones.
Rack of Lamb ready to cook. Photo by Liddie MartinezRack of Lamb
3lbs ― Lamb Rib Rack
1 tsp. ― Salt
1 tsp. ― Pepper
1 tsp. ― Garlic powder
4 ― Sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp. ― Fresh lemon rind, finely grated
1 Tbsp. ― Powdered Red Chile
3 Tbsps. ― Olive Oil
Prepare by trimming ribs then rub the rack with good olive oil. Preheat oven to 300°. Sprinkle on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic, chile and lemon rind. Top with fresh Rosemary and place rack in the clay casserole, cover and roast for about 2 hours until done the meat is tender and falls away easily from the bone.
Remove rosemary sprigs and serve with Pinto Beans and Red Chile.