Rosemary Lamb Chops

I do not eat lamb often, and in fact only think of it when lamb lollipops turn up as a special at McMenamin’s. Yet, this past fall I was inspired to try my chops at making lamp chops.

First you need to go to a butcher. A real one. And get yourself one of these:

Ask him to remove or crack the bone at the bottom, as it will prevent you from being able to cut through the rack to make your chops. Don’t throw it away, though. You paid good money for that. And, a lamb died for you just to cut it off! Use it in a soup, or cook it up and give it to your dog, who will then adore you.

You can also have your butcher French the rack for you. Not that French! This is removing the fat and membrane between the rib bones. Alton Brown gives a good demonstration using a small knife and a string.

You can then cut down between the rib bones to make your chops.

Season liberally with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice. I had a hankering for rosemary. But be careful, too much rosemary can be overpowering.

Now, let’s talk about pans. Get a cast iron skillet or else a heavy bottomed pan to sear off meats. Using thin pans allows the meat to absorb heat from the metal, lowering the surface temperature of the pan, and ruining your ability to get a nice sear. A nice sear adds flavorful compounds to the surface of the meat and also cooks the outside more quickly, allowing you to have a rarer, juicer inside. Oh, by the way, cast iron pans are among the cheapest pans you can buy and will last forever with proper care.

 

Drizzle olive oil on the meat itself and put in a heated pan (medium high). Sear a few minutes on each side until they are done to your liking.

I served this with an arugula salad and garlic toasts. For the dressing, I whisked together minced shallot, sun-dried tomato paste, sour cream, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and olive oil for a creamy sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Serve and enjoy.

Welcome to Rosemary Lamb Chops. Meat Mt Airy.