On the Forth of July Michael and I were on our own. I made a sweet little dinner with some of our favorite things to enjoy with conversation, just the two of us. I served Baby Lamb Chops simply grilled on the barbecue with an assortment of grilled vegetables and some rice. Dessert was a pie with only a top crust, filled with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, tart/sweet and refreshing after a well seasoned grilled dinner.
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Lamb Chops for two
1 single rack of baby lamb chops cut into 8 chops (a serving is 2-4 chops)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 teaspoons sumac (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing
fresh lime or lemon wedge for garnish
[2]To grill lamb chops, baby rib chops, place the chops in a dish. You could use shoulder chops in which case use the long bone chops not the circle bone chops. They are less expensive but not as flavorful. One rack of lamb makes 8 single cut chops, plus one piece of trim from the top. Don’t throw that trim piece away, it is delicious grilled, just cut the gristle away and eat it.
[3]Season the chops simply with salt and freshly ground pepper and then, squeeze some fresh lime juice or lemon juice over the top. Citrus brings out the sweetness of the meat. If you want to do something extra you could sprinkle a couple teaspoons of sumac on top of the chops. I prefer my lamb chops without garlic if I am simply grilling them. Next, preheat the barbecue grill on high for about 10-20 minutes. Drizzle some olive oil over the chops or spray them with safflower oil spray. Place the chops on the hottest portion of the grill.
Lamb chops tend to flame up because of their fat content. A little flame adds flavor, too much and they are burnt. Do not leave the chops unattended. Grill them to your desired degree, a couple two or three minutes on each side, turning only once with a tong. Caramelize the outside and leave the inside pink! Never pierce meat you are grilling with a fork. We prefer them medium, still pink inside or a bit rare inside.
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2 Comments To "Lamb Chops"
#1 Comment By toby On July 9, 2011 @ 7:00 PM
is there a recipe for the pie –one crust with all the different berries?? it really looks great and seems easy to make—
thanks—
#2 Comment By Linda Capeloto Sendowski On July 10, 2011 @ 5:57 PM
Hi la_toby, The berries were about 8-10 cups mixed washed and sliced if they needed it, berries. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. Add 1 and 1/3 cup sugar, 4-5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of cinnamon (optional). Place the mixed berries in the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. The pie crust recipe is on my site in the index under [5]. Make the pie crust recipe and split it into two large balls. Freeze one ball of dough in a heavy duty zip lock kind of bag. Roll out the piece you are going to use into a large rectangle matching the baking dish with the berries, leaving only a little over hang. Place the dough on top of baking dish filled with berries. Make little slits in the dough with a small knife and sprinkle about a teaspoon of granulated sugar on top. Place the baking dish on top of a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes or until it looks like in the picture , bubbly and golden. Let it cool for a couple of hours so the filling will begin to set before you serve it. Great with sorbet or ice cream.