Honey turning to lacquer over lamb fat — the barbecue earning its keep

There's a moment about ten minutes into the glazing stage when the honey stops being sauce and starts being shellac — glossy, deep amber, catching at the edges. That's the moment this recipe is built around. The hood does the quiet work first: two hours of gentle indirect heat while the fat renders and the meat turns tender in its foil wrap. Then the racks come over the flame with a honey, thyme and garlic glaze, and the last fifteen minutes smell so good the neighbours will suddenly remember they wanted to return that ladder.

2 hrs 25 mins 4 servings Prep 10 minsCook 2 hrs 15 minsMain CourseAustralian

Ingredients

  • 2 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb rib racks (the 2 pack)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Set a hooded barbecue up for indirect heat at about 160C — burners on one side only, or coals banked to one side. Rub the racks with the oil, salt and pepper.

2 lamb rib racks1 tbsp olive oil2 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper

Wrap each rack snugly in foil, sit them on the cool side, close the hood and cook for 2 hours, until a knife slides between the bones with no resistance.

Near the end, warm the honey, garlic, thyme and lemon juice together in a small saucepan for a minute or two until loose and fragrant.

3 tbsp honey2 garlic cloves1 tbsp thyme leaves1 tbsp lemon juice

Unwrap the racks carefully and tip the rendered fat out of the foil — there'll be plenty, and that's the cut doing its job.

Move the racks over medium direct heat. Brush with glaze and turn every 2 to 3 minutes for 12 to 15 minutes, until deeply caramelised. Honey catches fast, so keep the racks moving and shift them off the flame if they darken too quickly.

Rest for 5 minutes, slice between the bones, and serve with any glaze left in the pan brushed over the top.

Appears in

Lamb Share B only — Ribs (2 pack)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

Honey, Fat and Fire — Why This Works

Lamb ribs come from the breast, and they carry the most generous fat cover of any cut in the lamb share. That fat is why the two-stage method isn't optional: fast heat alone leaves it chewy and sends flames up through the grill, but two slow hours under the hood render it down until it's basting the meat from the inside. Then the honey gets involved. Honey caramelises at a lower temperature than most sugars, which is why the glazing happens over medium heat, not roaring heat — you're after deep amber, not black. Rendered lamb fat and caramelised honey is one of the great pairings in barbecue, and the thyme and lemon stop it from tipping into toffee. The Your Farmer® rib two-pack comes in Lamb Share B, and there's an extra rib two-pack for the weekends when one rack per pair of hands isn't enough.

Swaps and Variations

Rosemary swaps in for thyme without missing a beat — chop it finely so it doesn't sit twiggy on the glaze. A teaspoon of Dijon whisked into the honey gives the glaze a savoury backbone the adults will appreciate. If your pantry runs to the good stuff, this is a recipe that rewards raw honey — the flavour survives the flame in a way the squeeze-bottle blend doesn't. And beef short ribs take the identical treatment with about an extra hour in the foil, so one method covers both freezers.

Storage and Leftovers

Cooked ribs keep 3 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat covered at 160C for about 15 minutes — the glaze will loosen and re-shine. Leftover rib meat, stripped and warmed, is very good through a couscous salad with whatever herbs are hanging on in the garden.

These are the ribs that make people ask where you buy your lamb. The honest answer is that you don't buy it so much as reserve it — our lamb subscription brings the whole animal's worth of cuts to your door, ribs included.

Frequently asked questions

My glaze keeps burning — what am I doing wrong?

The heat's too high. Honey caramelises quickly, so glaze over medium heat and keep the ribs moving. If they're darkening too fast, slide them to the cooler side of the grill and finish there with the hood down.

Can I make these without a hooded barbecue?

Yes — do the 2-hour covered stage in a 160C oven instead, then glaze the racks over medium heat on any open grill or barbecue plate for the last 15 minutes.

Gas or charcoal?

Either works. Gas is easier to hold at 160C; charcoal adds a smokiness that suits lamb beautifully. Just bank the coals to one side so the racks cook on the cool side first.

How do I know the barbecue is sitting at about 160C?

Use the hood thermometer if you have one, and check it every half hour or so. If the barbecue is running hot, the foil wrap buys you forgiveness — just start checking tenderness at the 90-minute mark.

Can I prepare anything ahead?

The slow stage can be done up to 2 days ahead — cook the wrapped racks, cool and refrigerate them whole, then glaze over medium heat for about 20 minutes from cold.

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