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You know what I am talking about.....when the whole house smells of something wonderful roasting in the oven.  In this case, a veal rib roast. Simple, straight forward and quite honestly, easy to prepare. Following the time of year, this recipe lightens up, literally, on the sauces and pairs up with a few savory spices and the zingy hit of citrus zest!

Roasted Rack of Veal

Serves 8 to 10 people
Total time:  1 hour 45 minutes plus marinating and standing time

Ingredients

2 (4 ½ pound) 6-bone racks of veal (12 bones total), trimmed, frenched, and tied by your butcher

12 garlic cloves, cut into slivers

1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Grated zest of 3 oranges

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Place the veal racks on a cutting board (fat side up) and make thin incisions all over them, about 1 inch apart, by pushing  a paring knife into the fat, straight toward the bone. Insert a garlic sliver into each incision; you will use about 20 slivers.

Combine the remaining garlic with the rosemary, thyme, basil, orange zest, kosher salt, and pepper in a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil, and process until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

Rub the orange-herb mixture all over the veal racks. Cover, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or as long as overnight.

Take the veal out of the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Arrange the veal racks with bones intertwined and standing straight up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F for just medium.

Let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve the chops, and serve.