Friday Recipe
Before I get back to work on the Great Big Glob of Essay, I thought I’d give you a little weekend grilling assignment.
Semi-Greek Lamb Chops
You’ll need:
8-10 Lamb chops
1/2 red onion, quartered
5 cloves of garlic, halved
5 sprigs or stalks or whatever of fresh oregano
10 leaves of fresh mint
1 lemon, halved
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper and kosher salt
Lay the chops in a pan just big enough to hold them. Squeeze one half of the lemon all over the meat. Throw the garlic in there, and arrange the onion chunks in between the chops. Cover everything with the oregano and mint. Drizzle olive oil over everything, then squeeze the second lemon half over the mess. Add sprinkled salt and ground pepper to taste. It should look something like this:
(Click on the pic for the full-size, extra-tasty version.)
Stick it in the fridge, covered, for a couple hours.
Grill your chops over extremely hot charcoal, for an absolute max of 90 seconds per side. You want to get them extra-caramelized on the outside, and rare-to-medium-rare on the inside. Know what else is tasty? Put those onion chunks on the fire for about 45 seconds and serve them with the veggie.
Starch? I like angel hair pasta, tossed with olive oil and your leftover herbs. For your veggies, try a spinach salad with those onions on top. If you like your spinach wilted, then toss the salad while the onions are still hot. Use a little lemon, olive oil, and pepper for the dressing.
The best part is picking up the chops and eating them with your soon-to-be lickable fingers. The second best part is that your loved one’s fingers will be lickable, too.
Or do I have that the wrong way around?
90 freaking seconds a side? The dang lamb will still be alive!
Otherwise … tastylicious.
Cut red onions into wedges and thread them on a skewer along with kokkino pepperies [red peppers in Greece, sort of like very long red bell peppers - sometimes you can find them or something similar here] and marinate them in the same stuff. Grill them till they’re very tender. We used to grill those all the time with the souvlaki when I lived in Athens.
Sure, it looks tasty, but how well does it work at chasing (or attracting) mice? I’m not much of a lamb fan, but all those seasonings…mmmm…
What are you, a sheep rancher? Or the New Zealand Minister for Export? With lamb chops running around $13.99 per lb. around here, it would take a second mortgage to pay for the meal you’re proposing.
Of course the lamb will still be alive. Lamb is always best very rare.
doug
Grilled lamb: great.
Onion and garlic: good.
Where’s the fresh rosemary?
You might want to try shallots instead of onions.
I would also suggest a Balsamic vinegar reduction using brown sugar and a bit of honey.
Ignore the haters! I would have tried this tonight but, it’s raining. First good weather and I’m on it!
Thanks.
Damn it, more neocon Zionist recipes! What about the children?
Does this recipe work with baby seal?
Stephen, lamb’s my favorite! And this looks delicious.
What wine do you suggest? Some Rioja? or something domestic?
Starch? Potatos, man! Cooked right in the pan with the meat.
a couple of anchovy fillets in the marinade will bring out the lamb flavour even more
I second the vote for rosemary. Rosemary and mint on lamb.
I’ve been getting some very nice cuts of lamb for $4/lb, in bulk (15 chops all vacuum-packed and delivered – Fresh Direct, we love you).
They aren’t classic lamb chops, they are some kind of shoulder cut, but they grill very nicely.
They include several pounds of lamb stew meat, and last winter I made a stew with Meyer lemon, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, mint, rosemary, garlic, and some other stuff I can’t remember now (capers?). Serve on rice.