I know what you're thinking: I can't possibly have a story about lambchops. They're not as popular as ham or porkchops...how can I have a whole story about something not alot of people even like? Well, I do. In fact, I have several: there's a funny one about my Aunt Annie and a rack of lamb, a sweet and sentimental one about the lollipop lambchops on the bar menu at Capital Grille, and there's this one about my mother and some missing lambchops that I'm about to share with you now:
A few years ago, I went over to my moms (who we call Gigga) on a Friday after work, and got there just as she was unloading her groceries. She was INCENSED, and very vocal about it, that Publix had forgotten to put her lambchops in the bag. Now what to have for dinner?... Goddammit it, how could they forget the lambchops?.... Grrrrrrrrrrr Publix and the goddamn lambchops... how hard is it to put lambchops in a bag?....now there's mashed potatoes and nothing to have with them,...blah blah blah and on it went until it was time to leave for my daughters soccer game, to which Gigga rode in my car.
The next day, I picked her up for the next soccer game and still...goddamn the missing lambchops...I'm getting my money back...
Sunday night, we're going to the third game of the tournament and she says she'll drive because....yep, she wants to go by Publix and give 'em what for! We open the car doors and .....WHAAAAAAAAT the hell died in the car?!? Some kind of animal has crawled in her car and died a horrible death...we think. We start gagging, shirts over our noses, and then we find it: the lambchops slid out of the bag on the floor of her backseat and had gotten stuck underneath the driver-side seat. FOR 3 DAYS, they'd been festering in the high heat of August (112 degrees) inside her locked car, in the sun. It was HORRIBLE! We couldn't get near the car for a week and my dad called it "the mutton-mobile" forever after. I think about it and I can STILL smell it...LOL!
Fast forward to yesterday, my friend Steve is curious about the beautiful lamb he keeps seeing at the store, and I agree to make it. Word spread, and I had a house full of people last night, plus 5 ravenous soccer players who'd just returned from the movies, feasting on some mighty good looking loin lamb chops, my friends. As for preparation, they're just like steak and no more difficult: season, grill, and enjoy. My menu looked like this, but if you want to make your own favorite side dishes, please do:
Loin lamb chops with garlic and fresh rosemary and a balsamic reduction
mashed potatoes
Sautéed zucchini and tomatoes finished under the broiler with a parmesan crust
(and ps: once again I have to apologize for the picture above. Steve is fired from his duties as picture taker, because by the time it gets to the plate, he's 2 martinis and a bottle of merlot into it, and his photos leave a little to be desired...LOL)
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2-3 loin lambchops per person
fresh rosemary, off the stalk and chopped
garlic powder
kosher salt / pepper
olive oil
Balsamic Glaze (found near the balsamic vinegar in your grocery store)
First, pat chops dry and place in pan.
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| ready to season |
Season with rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper on both sides.
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| Seasoned, and ready to grill |
Drizzle olive oil over and grill.
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| On the grill--see how they change color? |
When finished, take off grill and drizzle immediately with balsamic glaze. Let rest, covered 10 min, and serve. (Thank you, Charlie, for gauging them perfectly!!)
I like mine to be medium--pink and warm throughout. Americanlamb.com says loin chops 1 - 1 .5" thick should be cooked to 145 * F for medium-rare (7-12 minutes on grill or under broiler). Adjust as necessary.
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| 3 gluttonous, drunk, happy carnivores :) |
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