The smell of this pan seared rosemary lamb loin chop recipe mingling with the scent of roasted vegetables will make you and your family or guests think they’ve stepped into a tiny French Bistro. But, you won’t have to foot the bill for air fare, or the restaurant sticker price.
Pan seared lamb loin chops look like mini t-bone steaks.
The loin chop is a quick cooking cut of lamb and often over-looked, but they’re delicious and don’t need special kitchen tricks, spice blends, or special ingredients. As Chef Alan Bergo says:
“People always ask me what I did to the lamb or goat chops, and more often than not it was just salt and pepper, and maybe a little fresh rosemary or thyme. When your ingredients are of the highest quality, all you truly need to taste the flavor is salt, pepper, and a good, hot sear.”
The roasted root vegetables make a great side dish for any rich meat, especially when kissed with a touch of home-rendered lamb fat–the perfect accompaniment to any vegetable garnish you might serve alongside our lamb. (See Chef’s post on rendering lamb fat here). The blend of vegetables is up to you, and Chef recommends using whatever looks good and is available.
Looking to buy lamb or goat online? Shepherd Song Farm: Grass to table. We raise lambs & goats traditionally, humanely and sustainably. 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Never Confined, no Hormones, Grains or Animal Byproducts. Born, raised and processed in the U.S.A. Good for you and good for the environment.
How to Cook Lamb Loin Chops
The most important thing to know is that you season lamb chops a few hours before cooking them to help them brown. The images below describe the process.
Season the chops with salt, pepper and rosemary before cooking.
Cook lamb loin chops fat-side down first. over medium high heat
Perfect seared lamb chops.
Roasting Root Vegetables
Roasted root vegetables are a great winter accompaniment.
Cut the vegetables into equal pieces
Toss vegetables in rendered lamb fat, rosemary, crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper
Make sure to leave room between the vegetables so they can brown.
Small handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons chopped
Root Vegetables
5-8clovesof fresh garlic
3lbsassorted winter vegetablesrutabaga, parsnips, carrots, sunchokes, squash, potatoes, etc (this will make enough for 4 people, or leftovers if serving two)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepperto taste
3tablespoonsrendered lamb fat
Lemon wedgesoptional
Instructions
Dry Marinate the Lamb Chops
Pat the lamb chops dry, then make a few, shallow slices in the fat cap to help it render and crisp. Season the lamb chops with salt, pepper and the chopped rosemary on all sides. Refrigerate the lamb for an hour or two, and up to 24 hours, uncovered, turning once or twice to help dry them out and help them brown.
Root Vegetables
Peel all the vegetables except carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips. Melt the lamb fat, then toss the vegetables in it, and season with salt and pepper. Whack the garlic cloves with the back of a knife, and pick the rosemary sprigs into 3 inch segments.
Toss the garlic and rosemary with the vegetables, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 475 for 20 minutes, or until browned on the top and just cooked through. The vegetables can be roasted ahead of time and reheated from here.
If you don't have a hood vent in your kitchen, open a window and turn on a fan to get some air circulating to prevent the fire alarm going off, as home ovens can often be a little smoky from residual cooking debris left from previous meals.
Cook the Lamb Loin Chops
Heat a cast iron skillet (or grill in a pinch) to medium-high, and put the lamb chops, fat-side down in the pan.
Cook until the fat is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook the remaining sides until browned, about another 8 minutes (turning on a fat or opening a window as searing meat inside can get a little smoky. If the lamb chops threaten to fall down when searing the fat side, rest them against each other to keep them vertical.
The chops can also be grilled if it's warm outside, or if you prefer. When the lamb chops are done to your liking, remove them to a warm place to rest for a minute, then heat the vegetables, put a serving on each plate, and garnish with two hot cooked lamb chops and lemon wedges.
Notes
Loin chops are small and will cook quickly. If you want medium rare lamb chops, make sure to take them off when the internal temperature reaches 135 F.
This recipe can be made with rack of lamb cut into lamb rib chops too.
Rosemary loves lemon, so don't skip the drizzle of lemon juice before you eat.