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Butter-Basted Lamb Chops

Source of Recipe

From "To the Last Bite" by Alexis Deboschnek


Recipe Introduction

"It doesn't take much to make lamb chops into a great dinner. A handful of hardy herbs, garlic, a spoonful of mustard, and a knob of butter go a long way. Unlike with a larger roast, I only marinate chops for an hour or two. Any longer and you run the risk of the acid in the marinade breaking down the proteins in the meat, resulting in a gray, mushy chop. If you're short on time, fifteen minutes will do—you just want to capture the flavor of the aromatics before searing. I prefer my lamb on the rare side, but if too much pink scares you, cook them for three minutes per side."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped sage leaves
â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped thyme leaves
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
â—¦ 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds lamb chops
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter


Recipe

In a large bowl, stir the sage, thyme, garlic, Dijon, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the salt, and pepper. Add the lamb chops and use your hands to evenly coat them with the herb mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours.

Remove the lamb chops from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add half of the lamb chops, making sure not to crowd the pan (add less if necessary). Cook, without moving, until golden brown on one side, 2 ½ to 3 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat. Flip the chops with tongs and add ½ tablespoon of butter to the pan, and continue cooking until golden brown on the other side, another 2 ½ to 3 minutes. As the butter melts, spoon it over the lamb chops. Repeat with the remaining chops and butter. The lamb chops can be served hot or at room temperature.

Serves 2 to 4