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1
Lay each cutlet between two sheets of cling film. Pound lightly with a meat mallet to an even 2 cm thickness across the entire surface. Inspect by eye: every part of each cutlet must be the same depth. Uneven thickness is the primary cause of simultaneous raw centres and grey edges.
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2
If using the marinade, combine the olive oil, crushed garlic, and bruised rosemary. Turn the pounded cutlets in the mixture and leave for 30 minutes at room temperature. Whether marinated or plain, season all surfaces generously with salt and pepper exactly 20 minutes before the grill is ready.
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3
Bring the grill to very high heat — 300 °C or above. The bars must be clean and oiled. Hold your hand 5 cm above the grill surface: the heat should be intolerable within two seconds. A lower temperature will steam rather than sear, producing grey, uncharred meat.
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4
THIS IS WHERE THE DISH LIVES OR DIES. Lay the cutlets on the grill. Grill for 2–3 minutes per side without moving them. The margin between rosé and grey in a 2 cm cutlet is measured in seconds: pull each cutlet the instant its internal temperature reaches 52–55 °C. The crust must be visibly charred and the meat must yield with slight resistance when pressed — firm enough to hold its shape, soft enough to give at the centre. Grey lamb at this stage cannot be recovered.
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5
Rest the cutlets for 2 minutes on a warm rack. Do not cover: steam will soften the char. The juices should run faintly pink when the meat is pressed lightly.
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6
Arrange three cutlets per person en couronne: stand the cutlets upright with the bones interlocked in a crown. The bones must be clean — any charred meat scraps on the bone indicate an insufficiently trimmed manchonné. Serve immediately with Dijon mustard or a spoonful of mint-infused jus, and a picked branch of watercress alongside.