Grilled lamb chops are the perfect date night dinner, especially when it’s been a busy day and you don’t have a ton of prep time. Where I live, Trader Joe’s is always a sure bet to have New Zealand Lamb racks in stock. I can occasionally find them at Sprouts, but that’s about it. I like to make a simple herb marinade with thyme, rosemary & Italian parsley and then grill them. The presentation is elegant and they’re delicious when paired with a spicy red wine like a Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. So good!
This recipe is pretty much a riff on Giada’s grilled lamb recipe at the Food Network. The cayenne pepper adds a subtle kick and they’re so easy to make.
Grilled Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 1 package Lamb chop rack You can usually find these at Trader Joes
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 tbsp Fresh Italian Parsley
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the lamb fat. Check out the video I linked to in the post to see how to do this. Then cut the rack into individual chops and place in a baking dish to marinate.
- For the marinade I like to use fresh herbs from my herb garden or buy fresh ones at the store. Remove the leaves from the stems of the rosemary, thyme and parsley & chop them up. Add to a small bowl with minced garlic, pinch of cayenne and olive oil. Stir to mix well. You can, of course, do this in a food processor also, but why go to all the trouble to get that out?
- Rub 1/2 the marinate on one side of the lamb chops, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and then flip them over and repeat on the other side. Let the chops sit for an hour (or as long as you have time).
- Heat the grill to high heat
- Add the chops and grill for about 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium.
When grilling lamb chops, you may want to trim the fat from the rack before seasoning it. Here’s a helpful video on how to trim the fat off of your rack of lamb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtG-F3uBmOM
For this date night, we had roasted root vegetables along with the lamb. I like them cut up pretty small and seasoned with the same seasonings that we used on the lamb so that made it easy to prep and also made for a consistent theme for the meal. Also, this is pretty versatile, and works with whatever root vegetables you happen to have on hand which for us is usually carrots and sweet potatoes. This evening we also happened to have some turnips and parsnips in the fridge so I used those as well.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- 4 large Carrots Multicolored carrots make for a pretty presentation
- 2 Parsnips
- 1 Sweet Potato
- 1 Turnip
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Remove the herb leaves from the stems and chop up finely.
- Chop up root vegetables and combine in a bowl.
- Add the herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread vegetables in a single layer on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet & bake at 400° until tender, approx. 30 minutes for small diced. Longer for larger cut vegetables. I like my slightly charred which caramelizes the sugars and makes them sweeter, but that's totally a matter of preference.
We also had a bagged Ceasar salad. What can I say? I didn’t have a ton of time for prep since it’s been a busy weekend and there’s no shame in a bagged salad! For dessert, we enjoyed my signature balsamic vinegar dessert with fresh Chilton county peaches. I need to do a post on that…
My recommended wine pairing: Familia Cassone Vista del Cielo Malbec Reserva. Approx. $15.
