Rosemary Lamb Chops

Roasted Rosemary Lamb Chops

Rosemary is so earthy and woody, it’s like the scent of the forest, and so it pairs really well with a gamey red meat like lamb.  I love the flavor of lamb, and this simple way of roasting a rack of lamb is an easy way to get my lamb fix.  Lamb isn’t typical meat that you see a lot of in most American neighborhood grocery stores, so I buy mine from Costco*.  You can get a fresh beautiful frenched rack of lamb for about $15.

* Costco actually has a really good and fresh meat section, the problem, of course, is the massive portions they sell.  So I usually buy a package and then clean and cut up into manageable portions, place in zip-lock bags, push out the air, seal and toss into the freezer.

Cook Time: 25 min                        Yield: 4 servings

o      Rack of lamb chops (Frenched)

o      2 Tablespoons of Fresh Rosemary leaves, chopped

o      2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

o      Salt and Pepper

1. Trim any excess fat off the rack of lamb. Rub with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary on both sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let the rack marinate in the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Take the lamb rack out of the fridge and let it come to room temp, about 10 minutes.  Remove the plastic wrap. 
4. Coat the bottom of an oven-safe bottom heavy fry pan or skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Sear the lamb rack on both sides then move into the oven for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your rack*.
5. Using a meat thermometer, the rack should be about 140 to 150 degrees for medium rare, which I recommend because keep in mind that the meat will continue to cook for a few minutes when you take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
6. After letting the rack rest, cut between the rib bones to get individual chops.  Garnish with a little bit more of the chopped rosemary or chopped parsley.  Serve with any starch or veggies you like!  Shown here with mushroom squash risotto.

* If you don’t want to use the oven, you can definitely cut the rack into individual chops prior to cooking and simply sear the individual chops on both sides in a pan over the stove.  This is quicker and more ideal for a dinner for two, when you only have to pan sear a few chops.  I like to roast racks in their entirety when I have to serve more than two people because I don’t want to be stuck at the stove searing chops all night.  Another advantage is that you get a variety of doneness for your guests.  You’ll notice that the center chops will be pinker in the middle and the side chops will be more medium.