Fall is upon us, and I’m having mixed feelings because I love summer (I’m a Leo!), but I also love Fall for its holiday festivities. Two of my favorite holidays are Halloween and Thanksgiving, and I’m one of those people who goes crazy for everything pumpkin!
Getting into fall mentality, I created an easy make-ahead dish, which can be prepped days in advance, and grilled or pan fried in just a few minutes. I paired this dish with roasted root veggies and a fresh salad with Asian pears and goat cheese. The result: delicious, hearty, comforting and filling, not too mention less dishes in the sink!
Ingredients:
- 6 lamb shoulder chops (about 3lbs)
For the marinade:
- 3 Tblsp finely minced garlic
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest of 1 medium sized lemon
- 2 tsp salt (plus more for seasoning)
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 Tblsp fresh rosemary (finely minced)
- 2 Tblsp fresh sage (finely minced)
- 2 Tblsp fresh thyme
Note: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, dried herbs will work just fine.
Method
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a medium sized bowl
- For the lemon, use a citrus zester to zest the entire lemon in the bowl
- Once the lemon is zested, cut lemon in half and juice the lemon halves to combine with the marinade
- Use a whisk to ensure marinade is fully incorporated
- Pour marinade into a gallon sized ziplock bag and place the lamb chops in the bag
- Close the zip lock bag and massage the marinade into the lamp chops until evenly distributed
- Marinate at room temp for an hour or overnight (up to 2 days)
- If meat is refrigerated over night, remove from fridge and allow meat to adjust to room temp (about an hour) before grilling
- Pre-heat a large grill pan for about 3 mins on medium high, and spray with your favorite no -stick spray
- Once your grill is heated, place the meat on the grill (do not over crowd), and cook chops in batches
- Grill chops for about 3-4 mins per side to get the grill marks
- Reduce the temp to medium heat and cover chops on the grill with foil or a lid to ensure meat is cooked in the middle for another 3-4 mins depending on your desired level of meat rareness
- Repeat processs with remaining chops, and squeeze fresh lemon and sprinkle a pinch of salt on each chop before serving
- Get your fork and knife ready!
- Feast.