My Favorite Lamb Chops

Written by rlogan

I love lamb. Seriously. Tastiest animal ever. Particularly, I love lamb shoulder chops. They’re usually the cheapest cut of lamb, so it really works out to my benefit that they happen to be my favorite.

Here’s how I do ‘em:

Take some lamb shoulder chops, and leave them out on the counter to get to room temperature. While they’re resting, rub in some olive oil, kosher salt, and a lot of herbs de provence (I generally use at least 1/2 T per chop).

When they get close to room temperature, start heating up a cast iron skillet. You can use a non-stick pan, but I’d really recommend the cast iron. My burners don’t get quite as hot as I’d like, so I need to keep it on high. If you have a reasonable stove, you can probably set it to medium-high. After the pan is hot, toss the chops on in, taking care not to crowd them, and cook them to your preferred doneness. I generally like my meat next to raw, but for lamb shoulder chops, I tend to cook them a bit more. I like them so there’s a nice crisp crust formed on both sides. Delicious. Really.

This time, I had some carrots that I cooked up with maple syrup and Jamaican jerk seasoning, and some… I forget if it was mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Probably the mashed cauliflower.

At my local supermarket, the lamb shoulder chops are generally about $3 each, so for a total of about $10, I can make lamb chops and sides for my fiancee and I. Beats the pants off of spending $40 at a restaurant for something similar, and to be honest, while I love dining out, I’ll take these lamb chops over just about anything.