Lamb Chops

Lamb ChopsLamb is a springtime favorite eaten during the traditional spring holidays. It is delicious paired with spring vegetables like fresh asparagus and rhubarb. And, lamb chops are one of our favorite ways to enjoy eating lamb. They are tender, juicy and surprisingly simple to prepare.

Lamb is excellent when seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, fennel, and mustard. Any rub, marinade, or sauce made with these will enhance the flavor of your lamb chops. And, you don’t need to go overboard with the seasonings. You only want to add to the flavor or the meat.

Remember these three tips when you ask for lamb at our butcher’s counter:

  1. Choose a thicker cut because the eye of the meat is small on the bone that the thickness will help to prevent overcooking. About 1 1/2 inches is ideal.
  2. Like steaks, lamb chops should be salted and allowed to reach room temperature before cooking. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the rib and loin chops, and 30 to 40 for the shoulder chop. This will ensure even cooking, and the pre-salting will act as a kind of quick brine to tenderize and flavor the meat.
  3. The chops you choose should have a light red, finely textured meat with smooth, white fat. Marbling is not as important with lamb as it is with beef, but the fat on your chops should be evenly distributed.

If you are looking for a great lamb chop recipe, here is one of our favorites.

Mom’s Lamb Chops Recipe
Yields 4 servings
The amount of marinade Mom made depended on how many chops she had. You can use whatever lamb chops you can find: sirloin chops, loin chops—whatever works.

Mom always used loin chops and we always got exactly two on our plate. And, always with mashed potatoes and peas.

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Chopped, fresh rosemary
8 Lamb Chops

Directions
To make the marinade Mom would combine some soy sauce, garlic powder, and chopped fresh rosemary in a dish or ziplock bag.

Then Mom would toss the lamb chops in the bag to marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.

After that she would broil or grill the chops for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on their size. And, that was it!

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