How to French trim a rack of lamb

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What’s the point of French trimming? It’ll make your lamb rack pretty as a picture. French trimming refers to the process of cleaning the bones of sinew and muscle. This technique gives your meat a clean, professional and well-presented appearance, and makes serving up a cinch.

See how to do it with our how-to guide to French trimming, including photos of each step.

1. Remove the dark pink skin from the rack. Lift up a corner, using a piece of kitchen roll to help you grip if you need it, and either pull upwards and away or, if it’s tough, cut using a sharp knife.

2. With a sharp knife, loosen the paddywhack (the creamy coloured rubbery gristle between the fat and the meat at the end of the rack), then pull it away and discard.

3. Slice the top layer of fat away from the ribs, starting 2-3cm above the eye of the meat (the main meaty nugget on a chop). Cut it away from the ribs in slow, smooth, long strokes, keeping your knife flush to the ribs so you cut as close to the bone as possible.

4. Carefully cut out the sinew from in between each rib bone to create a neat crenellated effect.

5. Using the blade and the back of the knife as necessary, scrape and cut any sinew, fat and pieces of meat away from the bones until they are neat and clean.