Neck of Mutton

Carré de mouton rôti (neck of mutton trimmed and roasted as a rack) teaches that the shape of a joint governs its cooking. The ribs lift the meat, the bacon protects the cushion, and careful trimming lets heat reach the roast evenly. Get the cut right before touching the pan. A chopped stewing neck cannot become this dish, however bravely you tie it.

The original formula assumed a butcher at the block, enough mutton for a grand relevé, several hands preparing compound garnishes, a saucier on staff, and stock never off the fire. Your butcher removes the chine and exposes the final ⅔ inch of each rib; your shallow roasting pan supplies the fond, the browned glaze that becomes a small clear jus. A salamander contributes nothing here. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The compound garnishes and paper frills are service scaffolding. Keep the frills if the occasion delights you, but the dish itself is the correct rack, the bardage (barding with bacon), honest roasting, and a full rest before carving. Tie the bacon snugly without strangling the cushion. That is the step that decides whether the meat emerges protected and rosy or squeezed and uneven.