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Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Sauce

published about 1 hour ago

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

At the end of winter, before I start thinking about asparagus and ramps, I think of the real harbinger of spring: lamb. I absolutely love lamb, and my favorite way to enjoy it is in the form of lamb chops. Lamb chops always feel very elegant to me, as if someone took the time to make me a refined dish. But the truth is, lamb chops couldn’t be easier to prepare — especially when tossed on the grill.

At the very least, grilled lamb chops only need salt and pepper and about 10 minutes of cook time. But with the tiniest bit of extra effort, you can take your grilled lamb from a pretty good main to a show-stopping centerpiece that will wow and impress your loved ones. And with the gorgeous spring weather upon us, who doesn’t love an excuse to cook dinner outside? Here’s how to make my very favorite grilled lamb chops.

Buying Lamb Chops

The two most popular types of lamb chops are lamb loin chops (or t-bones ) and lamb rib chops — you can use either for this recipe. Lamb loin chops resemble little T-bone steaks, with both the loin and filet sold as part of the steak. Lamb rib chops are the individual servings cut from the rack of lamb. They can be found “frenched,” which means the meat and fat along the bone has been removed and cleaned. This is purely for aesthetic purposes — it gives the chop a more elegant appearance and also gives you a nice handle if you want to eat with your hands. But frenched chops are certainly not mandatory to enjoy chops.

Infusing the Lamb with Bright, Herbaceous Flavor

For these grilled chops, you’ll prepare a marinade of parsley stems, mint, rosemary, lemon zest, and garlic. The marinade comes together in minutes and does all the work for you, infusing the chops with bright, herbaceous notes. Marinate the chops for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to overnight for maximum flavor impact.

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Then, before the chops are grilled, I like to make a super-quick blender sauce with the remaining parsley, mint, chives, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s optional, as lamb chops taste great simply grilled with a squeeze of lemon juice, but it adds some really delicious flavors. I highly recommend you make it.

I love this dish because it’s very little effort with great reward. All the preparations and cook times take mere minutes, and frenched lamb chops look gorgeous on the table. This recipe is also easy to scale up or down depending on how many people you’re serving. It’s the perfect dish for any weeknight, but also perfect as the centerpiece on special occasions.

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Sauce

Yield Makes 8 lamb chops

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes

• alcohol-free
• egg-free
• dairy-free
• kidney-friendly
• fish-free
• peanut-free
• shellfish-free
• pork-free
• sugar-conscious
• gluten-free
• tree-nut-free
• soy-free
• wheat-free
• low-carb

Per serving, based on 14 servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 305
• Fat 28.8 g (44.3%)
• Saturated 8.3 g (41.4%)
• Carbs 2.5 g (0.8%)
• Fiber 1.0 g (4.0%)
• Sugars 0.5 g
• Protein 9.6 g (19.1%)
• Sodium 224.1 mg (9.3%)

Ingredients

For the lamb:

• 1

  large clove garlic

• 1

  medium lemon

• 1 bunch

  fresh parsley stems (reserve the leaves and tender stems for the herb sauce below)

• 1 handful

  fresh mint leaves

• 1 large sprig

  fresh rosemary

• 1/3 cup

  olive oil

• 1 teaspoon

  kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon

  freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon

  red pepper flakes

• 8

  Frenched lamb rib chops or lamb loin chops (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)

• Vegetable oil, for cooking

• Handful pea leaves, for serving (optional)

For the herb sauce: (optional)

• 1 cup

  fresh parsley leaves

• 1/2 cup

  fresh mint leaves

• 6

  medium scallions, or 1 small handful fresh chives

• 1

  large clove garlic

• 2 tablespoon

  freshly squeezed lemon juice (can use the zested lemon from the lamb)

• 1/2 cup

  olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon

  kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/4 teaspoon

  red pepper flakes

Instructions

Marinate the lamb:

1. Prepare the following, transferring each to a large ziptop bag as you complete them: Finely grate 1 large garlic clove. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon. Very finely chop 1 bunch fresh parsley stems until you have 1/4 cup. Very finely chop 1 handful fresh mint leaves until you have 2 tablespoons. Strip the leaves from 1 large sprig fresh rosemary and finely chop until you have 2 teaspoons.

2. Add 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the bag and mix to combine.

3. Add 8 lamb chops to the marinade and completely coated in the marinade. Seal the bag and let marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator overnight. Meanwhile, make the herb sauce if desired.

Make the herb sauce (optional):

1. Prepare the following, adding them to a blender as you complete them: Pick the leaves from 1 bunch fresh parsley until you have 1 packed cup. Pick the leaves from 1 bunch of fresh mint until you have 1/2 cup. Coarsely chop the greens from 6 medium scallions (or coarsely chop 1 small handful fresh chives)

2. Add 1 large garlic clove, 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the zested lemon, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the blender. (Alternatively, you can use a food processor) Blend on high speed until very smooth and bright green, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed.

Grill the lamb:

1. If the lamb and sauce have been refrigerated, let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. If using an outdoor grill, heat to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb chops from the marinade and brush off the excess marinade.

2. Option 1: Stovetop cooking. Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the lamb and grill until deep golden brown on all sides, including the fatty edges, and the internal temperature is 125ºF for medium doneness or 145ºF for medium-well doneness. This will take about 2 1/2 minutes per side, 6 to 8 minutes total for rib chops, or 10 minutes total for loin chops.

3. Option 2: Grilling. Coat the grill grates with vegetable oil. Brush the lamb chops with vegetable oil. Place on the grill, cover, and grill until deep golden brown on all sides, including the fatty edges, and the internal temperature is 125ºF for medium doneness or 145ºF for medium-well doneness. This will take about 2 1/2 minutes per side, 6 to 8 minutes total for rib chops, or 10 minutes total for loin chops.

4. Transfer the lamb to a clean cutting board or plate and let rest 5 minutes. Spread a handful of pea leaves on a serving platter and decoratively place the lamb chops on the pea leaves if desired. Serve with the herb sauce if desired.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftover lamb can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days. The herb sauce can be stored in an airtight container with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent oxidation for up to 3 days.

Source : food