Lamb Chops With Rosemary Gravy Loin Chops Forequarter Cutlets

Lamb Chops

I was going to start off today’s recipe by saying that lamb is the national meat of Australia. But then I stopped short, remembering how proud we are of our beef, and the seafood we catch in our pristine oceans, and how far we’ve come to make ethical and sustainably farmed chickens more accessible to everyday Aussies….. So let me try again. We Aussies love our lamb. And we really love a good lamb chop. So here’s a wickedly good way to cook up your next lamb chops – lightly marinated in garlic and rosemary, aggressively seared to create an awesome crust, then doused liberally in a rosemary gravy made using the pan drippings. It tastes like a Sunday night roast lamb leg – served up quick smart!

What you need for Lamb Chops with Rosemary Gravy

You need very little for this recipe because lamb has so much flavour, we’re going to use it to the max and just compliment it with flavours that lamb loves: garlic and rosemary.

Best cut of lamb for pan frying

Use this recipe for any cut of lamb suited to pan frying or grilling:

Lamb loin chops (aka mid loin chops) (pictured below) – the lamb equivalent of T-bone beef steaks, very juicy, excellent flavour, tender meat. Best cooked medium or medium rare, but ok to go to well done because it’s such a juicy cut. Comes with a band of fat around it – either leave it on or trim it off; Lamb cutlets (aka lamb rib chops) – the most expensive and for many, the most prized cut of lamb, the meat is extremely tender and sweet. Criminal to go beyond medium! Forequarter chops – the most economical option, this is lamb shoulder sliced into steak form. Lamb shoulder is a cut associated with slow cooking (like this Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder) to break down the tough meat. However, when cut into thinnish steaks (as sold at butchers and grocery stores in Australia), they make excellent steaks. While not as tender as midloin and cutlets, it is not tough, it has terrific chew and very, very good lamb flavour. The RecipeTin Family is a great fan of forequarter chops! Lamb leg steaks – this is the lean alternative. Because it comes from the leg, best not to take it beyond medium (as it will get quite tough).

How to cook lamb chops

Being one of the stronger flavoured meats, lamb doesn’t really need marinating but in this recipe, I really like to drive home the rosemary flavour – and while I’m at it, I add a good wack of garlic flavour too (being that lamb loves both). So I marinade the lamb chops in rosemary and garlic first before pan frying aggressively so they get a terrific crust (lamb loves a good sear, like steaks). Then while the lamb is resting, we use the pan drippings to make a rosemary gravy (it takes 3 minutes flat!).

Internal temperature of cooked lamb chops

The internal temperature of cooked lamb chops for different levels of doneness are as follows:

Rare 50°C / 122°F Medium rare 58°C / 136°F Medium 62°C / 144°F Medium well done 70°C / 158°F Well done 75°C / 167°F

It’s the 21st century. Take the guesswork out of cooking meat – get a thermometer!!

How long to cook lamb chops – for medium rare

The cook time depends on the cut you’re using and how thick it is. Here’s my guide:

Loin chops (midloin chops) 2cm / 4/5″ thick – 4 minutes each side Forequarter chops 1.5 cm / 2/3″ thick – 4 minutes each side Cutlets (French or not) 1.5 cm / 2/3″ thick – 3 minutes first side, 2 minutes second side Boneless leg steaks usually about 1 cm / 1/2″ thick – – 3 minutes first side, 2 minutes second side

The photo above is medium rare – a hint of pink, but most certainly cooked, optimal juiciness!!

What to serve with lamb chops

Normal lamb chops might be highly flexible with regards to what they can be served with. But for this one, a creamy, gravy-soakable starchy side is essential. Preferably mashed potato – because lamb + gravy + peas is pretty much perfection on a plate. But if you’re doing the low carb thing, then Cauliflower Mash is the way to go. If you’re out of potato, serve it over anything that can be used to smother with gravy – pasta, rice (plain, basmati, jasmine – or try this fabulous Seasoned Rice), polenta, couscous. Just trust me when I say that you won’t want to waste a drop of that rosemary gravy! – Nagi x PS Oh – and as for greens! Green Bean Salad is always a firm favourite with lamb, or just a big leafy salad or garden salad with a classic Vinaigrette.