Dinner for a Special Occasion – Grilled Lamb

View at Picasa 05-Apr-2010 20:09, Apple iPhone, 2.8

Do you have a reason to celebrate? Good news is always worthy of a special meal. This grilled lamb with lavender salt has all of the Mama Says classic elements: quick, healthy and delicious. You’ll earn rave reviews for this succulent grilled lamb chop – the light essence of garlic mingles with the delicate lavender flavor to create a memorable dish.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Lavender Salt

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chops)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 (4-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Place salt and lavender in a spice or coffee grinder; process until ground.
2. Prepare grill. Preheat a gas grill on high, covered, for 10 minutes, then turn heat to medium. Spray grill rack with cooking spray.
3. Pat lamb chops dry with paper towels and rub chops with olive oil. Sprinkle a dash of garlic powder on the chops followed by 1 teaspoon of salt mixture and pepper.
4. Grill lamb, turning once, until cooked to desired doneness, 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare. Remove chops from grill, tent with foil and let rest on a cutting board or plate for 5 minutes. Serve with additional lavender salt, if desired.

Mama Says Cooking Note: An instant-read thermometer is crucial for determining when to remove the lamb from the grill (from 140° for rare to 170° for well done), since doneness is a matter of personal preference.

Serving suggestion: green salad, baked potato, fresh steamed vegetables.

Recipe Inspiration: J. Weir, Cooking Light, JUNE 2005

My husband decided that the one thing I couldn’t live without in the kitchen is a sous vide machine.  (Before I go any further, let me tell you that after eating the food cooked in the sous vide machine, I think he’s right!!!)

View at Picasa 27-Dec-2009 18:31, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 574

There was an article in the New York Times about home sous vide cooking.  Sous vide combines the gentle, steady heat of poaching and an airtight seal, as in traditional methods of cooking in clay.  So, no burning the outside while having a raw inside.  And now, a machine is available for the home cook – the SousVide Supreme.

I decided to try the lamb chops, cynicism in tow.  I bought the cheapest variety of 1″lamb chops at Kroger, seasoned them with lots of salt and pepper, and popped them into plastic bags (I used zip lock bags and sucked the air out with a straw to get an airtight seal).  Into the water they went. 

View at Picasa 27-Dec-2009 18:31, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 815

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They came out in need of 30 seconds of searing on both sides….but they looked and smelled just perfect.   

View at Picasa 27-Dec-2009 18:54, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 303

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And they were without question the best lambchops I’ve ever made.  Perhaps, according to my 22 year old son, the best lambchops ever.

Last night we tried salmon (perfect again) – tonight, chicken with bbq sauce.

I guess when my husband’s right, he’s right.  Lucky for me!!

Lamb chops don’t have to be expensive or hard to cook.  In fact, sirloin chops are usually lower in price than the little riblets or rib chops, and are super easy to make.

If you have a cast iron pan, that’s the best kind to use.  Either way, make sure your pan is good and hot before you put the chop in.

But that’s putting the cart before the horse (or lamb).  Here’s how you prep your little lamb chop:

Pan-Seared Lamb Chops

INGREDIENTS

4 sirloin lamb chops, about 1″ thick each

4 garlic cloves, smashed

salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons of fresh herbs (can be any kind – parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Chop the herbs and mix with the mashed garlic and olive oil to make a paste.   Spread over both sides of the lamb chop.

Heat the pan over moderate heat until you feel the heat by holding your hand a few inches above the pan.

Put the chops in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side.