Perfect Lamb Chops

Good lamb is so pricey, we just don't want to mess it up! Here's how I've learned to cook lamb chops perfectly each and every time, just by minding the clock.

Real Food, Cooked Perfectly Every Time. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. High Protein.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

COMPLIMENTS!

• "... turned out perfectly!" ~ Brian
• "... really yummy!" ~ Sally

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Thinking About Whole Animals

At the farmers market a few years back, I overheard a young couple order a whole hog – tip to tail and “everything but the squeak,” as they say – from a farmer who then raised pasture-grazed pigs. It was a long conversation, whether to take the pig’s feet (the trotters, isn’t that an apt name?!), whether the processor would cure the bacon.

That conversation launched a fascination with whole animals – both cooking whole animals for parties and purchasing a whole animal.

I know, I know, to think that for six years, I was a vegetarian, especially since buying meat this way is definitely an in-your-face experience without the modern veil of plastic wrap and pre-marinated convenience.

So I’ve decided to cook my way through an entire lamb, an entire steer and with any luck, an entire hog. This is a long-term project, one that will take awhile to get right. When I learn something that really works, like the timing for perfectly cooked lamb chops, I'll share the recipe.

The Pros and Cons of Buying Meat from Local Farmers

Here’s what I like about it:

• Knowing where and how the animal was raised, fed and yes, butchered
• Really good meat, cut and packaged to fit our cooking and eating style

Here’s what’s hard about it:

• Up-front cost to purchase the butcher the animal
• Big demand for freezer space
• Using up the meat. When it comes to meat, I’ve been a by-the-cookbooks cook sticking to familiar cuts easily found and relatively inexpensive in the grocery store. Dealing with necks and shoulders and other meat cuts, I just don’t know what to do.

Lamb: How Am I Doing?

• Lamb Chops Perfect Lamb Chops How to cook lamb chops perfectly each and every time. (you're here)
• Leg of Lamb Lamb with Lemon & Oregano An easy way to roast a leg of lamb, using just a handful of pantry ingredients.
• Lamb Shanks Slow Cooker Braised Lamb Shanks or Venison Shanks Fall-off-the-bone meat in a silky-smooth sauce.
• Lamb Roast Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam A Moroccan-style lamb stew.

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QUICK SUPPER: PERFECT LAMB CHOPS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes – several hours
Serves 4

• 4 lamb chops (see TIPS)

MARINADE
• 1/2 cup good red wine or Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, flattened with side of knife
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

MARINATE Combine the lamb chops, wine, garlic and rosemary in a large plastic bag or a shallow glass or ceramic pan (not metal). Let marinate for one to twelve hours (even 30 minutes makes a big difference), turning occasionally if possible. If cooking in an hour, the meat can marinate on the counter, otherwise, it should marinate in the refrigerator.

BRING TO ROOM TEMPERATURE Drain and discard the marinade. If needed, let the lamb chops come to room temperature, about 20 minutes. While meat warms up, heat oven to 400F/200C.

SEAR In a cast iron or heavy oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmery. (The skillet is hot enough when water flicked off your fingertips sizzles.)

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper, both sides. Without crowding and without moving, cook the chops for 3 minutes on one side, then 3 minutes on the other. Depending on size and number of chops, you might need to cook these in batches.

BAKE Place the chops in the oven and bake for 7 - 8 minutes for rare to medium rare. Watch the meat – chop thickness, how cooked they got in the skillet, all these will make a difference with the timing. But I have to tell you, 3 minutes per side plus 7 to 8 minutes in the oven, the timing has produced one perfect lamb chop after another here in our kitchen. For precision, use a digital thermometer (affiliate link) to assure that the meat reaches the safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of lamb, 145F/65C.

ALANNA's TIPS Thanks to Susan from Farmgirl Fare on whose farm in southern Missouri where our lamb is raised, our chops are “doubles” cut 1-1/4-inch thick. Still, each one yields only 3 ounces of cooked meat, a nice lady-like portion. The men always eat two, some times three! If you have another favorite marinade, by all means, use it. The trick here is in the timing, not the marinade. Two easy ways to make meat look even more appetizing. First, use a grill pan when searing the meat. Second, put a little "brown" (almost a burn) on the exterior by using a slightly hotter skillet when searing or by putting under the broiler for a minute just before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Chop (assumes 4 ounces uncooked): 158 Calories; 8g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 54mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium; 1g Carb; 0g Fiber; 0g Sugar; 18g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 4 & PointsPlus 4 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 4 & myWW green 4 & blue 4 & purple 4

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Seasonal Cooking: Autumn Ideas, Across the Years

Ratatouille Wine-Braised Pork Roast with Garlic Mashed Potatoes Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Cranberry Sauce Apple Cider Indian Pudding Cauliflower Risotto Chicken with Creamy Cider Gravy How to Make Great Fried Chicken Rock-Star Fried Chicken Perfect Lamb Chops Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Pumpkin Spice Lattes Why Dried Beans Won't Cook Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef Skillet Supper)

This Week, Elsewhere

~ Barolo Wine Reduction Sauce ~
from Il Bel Lago
~ more St. Louis Restaurant Recipes ~
My Weekly Column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

~ Pumpkin Hummus ~
~ more Recent Recipes ~
A Veggie Venture

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A Menu: An Alanna-Style Autumn Lamb Feast

Olivada on Crostini with a
Sliver of Mozzarella & Bit of Roasted Red Pepper

~ Perfect Lamb Chops ~
(recipe above)
Bodacious Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Pear Salad

Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp

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More Lamb Recipes

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more lamb recipes ~

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More Easy Special-Occasion Meals

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more quick supper recipes ~

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ lamb recipes ~
~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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