There are few dishes with the curb appeal of a perfect rack of chops, be they lamb, elk or any other animal. I flew this rack of chops 1600 miles (frozen and insulated in my carry-on luggage clothing supply) to be prepared at a party for one of my dearest and oldest friends, so needless to say, my expectations of myself and the dish were extremely high.
Luckily, I can drop the spoiler alert that it turned out to be a smashing success! At the home of another childhood friend who was hosting the party, in the windswept coastal California hamlet of Lompoc, I found myself exploring his spice cabinet and pulling my old “I will come up with something based on whatever happens to be in here” trick.
The task was figuring out how to coat and cook the meat, and upon inspection of the cabinet, I noticed some salt I was unfamiliar with. It was reddish black, and had a curiously pungent aroma about it, which my friend correctly described as somewhat sulphuric. Upon research, I learned it was called Kala Namak, and is a volcanic salt product that derives from India, and boasts an ancient and proud history.
The resulting rub I created has a beautifully earthen character, full of smoky, powerful flavors – the perfect compliment to the incomparable character of the best cut of meat from one of the most incredible game animals that walk this planet. I’d also like to give proper credit to my great friends Michael Pacheco and Mark Jansen, who executed a perfect smoke and grill job on the meat, while I tackled other preparatory tasks for the party we had on that day. Well done, gents – well done.
Medium rare perfection.
Meaty poetry.
The elk chop’s friends labeled him a conspiracy theorist after he insisted he was probed.
Rack of Elk with Kala Namak Dry Rub
Ingredients
Kala Namak Dry Rub
- 4 tbsp Kala Namak salt coarse
- 3 tbsp Ground Coffee dark roast
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Ground Black Pepper coarse
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
Elk
- 1 Rack of Elk Chops frenched
- 3 tbsp Humble House Ancho & Morita Sauce
Instructions
Kala Namak Dry Rub
- Add all ingredients to a mortar and pestle, and grind briefly. Do not seek to pulverize all ingredients, but instead only to partially reduce the coarseness of the kala namak salt and promote marriage of the rub flavors.
Elk
- French the rib bones and cut them to leave about two inches exposed. Trim all silverskin, and ensure the rack of chops looks as tidy as possible.
- Ensure the meat is room temperature, and thoroughly patted dry. Brush the meat with the Ancho & Morita sauce, until you have a modest coating covering all except the bones.
- Add dry rub to all of the sauce-brushed meat, including the underside.
- Smoke at 200 degrees for 60 minutes, then finish over higher indirect heat until internal temperature reads 128 degrees. Remove from heat, and allow to rest, at which point internal temperature should peak at around 132 degrees before beginning to decrease.