For years I have said to my dining partners “If you want lamb, make reservations.” I am not a huge lamb fan. I usually had it at wine dinners, restaurants, and even in Scotland. But it was not something that I ever cooked or prepared. Having lamb paired with the appropriate wine is, like most food, amazing. Other than that, it’s just not on my radar.
Then one afternoon I was out wine shopping. I just happened to get an outstanding bottle of wine at a bargain price. Red wine. And it was begging to be paired with lamb. So the adventure began.
Never having cooked lamb before, I had some homework to do. Finding a good butcher for top of the line lamb chops was a must. I found a local mediterranean market, and lucky me…they had a butcher. Not only did they have fresh lamb, they cut the chops to order. Score!
I decided to cook the chops outside on the grill. Like steak, I learned that lamb is delicious grilled.I also discovered that rosemary was perfect to flavor the chops. I have a friend that grows rosemary in her yard in abundance, so I zipped over there and nabbed a handful! I wanted to keep it simple. Rosemary, salt, pepper, and some flavorful high quality olive oil is what I used to prepare the chops.
I started by letting the chops sit for a couple of minutes to come to room temperature, then I rubbed them with olive oil and sprinkled on the rosemary. Salt and pepper too. I placed the chops on a hot grill at about 400 degrees. A quick flip after 4 minutes, and in another 4 minutes they were done.
I pulled them off the grill, put a pat of butter on each chop, and tented them with tin foil. Meat is at its best after resting for a few minutes. After letting the wine breath a bit, it was poured and the lamb plated. Roasted asparagus accompanied the chops, as did wild rice. The bold full bodied wine paired with the meal was a show stopper. Yum!
The outcome was incredible! The chops were savory, the wine delish! It was a meal to enjoy at a leisurely pace to fully enjoy the food, wine, and dinner companions. The outcome of my adventure into cooking lamb was a success. The discovery of a new mediterranean market which I will now frequent was an added bonus. And exploring the savory taste sensation of well paired food and wine is always a win in my book!
Leave a Reply