There was a recipe I wanted to try that called for lamb rib chops but all I remembered when I was talking to the farmer’s wife at the market was “lamb chops” and it turned out there were a half dozen different kinds. I bought the wrong kind, so I’ll save the first recipe until I buy the right cut — I feel like using 4 sirloin chops will make quite a difference in a recipe that calls for 28 rib chops.
This is actually a longer story that I’ll tell since I don’t have any research to present today. My mother-in-law is making these cute, wine cork cactus gardens and selling them for $10 each. They’re really adorable and she had saved up quite a supply of wine corks, but obviously needs to collect more if she’s going to maintain her hobby.
Being the good daughter-in-law, I’ve stepped up my wine drinking because I wouldn’t want her to run out of corks, right? But sometimes after I drink some wine, I realize I don’t really like it very well, and I have to come up with a recipe to use it, or give it to the neighbor. I know he likes to have a glass of wine and his wine is too expensive to drink (haha – I’m teasing him), so I send him over my cheap stuff to keep him in a steady supply. Therefore, you may see wine incorporated into more recipes for a while and, since I usually buy red, the sauces will probably be purple.
These lamb sirloin chops are slightly less than ½-lb each with the bone in. It provides plenty of meat since I don’t want meat to take over the plate. This recipe is modified from one I originally saw on the Food Network website, but it wasn’t for the grill. Be sure to cut most of the fat off and buy lamb that’s as lean as possible. The farmers at markets will show you a selection and let you choose. Mine had a bit too much fat/waste on them but I didn’t realize it in time. You can leave out the butter and cream or substitute if you want dairy-free.
Lamb Chops with Rosemary Wine Sauce
4 6-8 oz lamb loin chops
1 t avocado oil
2 crushed cloves garlic
1/2 C wine
1 T rosemary
1 C low-sodium broth
2 T unsalted butter
2 T cream
2 t Dijon mustard
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Salt and pepper the lamb chops.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and garlic over medium-high heat (on the stove) for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and rosemary and cook 4-5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the broth and cook until reduced by half (5-6 minutes).
While the broth is reducing, grill the lamb chops for 4-5 minutes on each side. Hold each chop with tongs and sear around the edges for 1-2 minutes. Set aside until sauce is finished.
Turn off the heat on the stove and whisk the butter, mustard, and cream into the sauce. Add the lamb to the sauce and serve.
