This is what newly purchased meat should look like. Wrapped in sturdy paper by a man with a bloody smock, sealed with a length of tape, not a second skin of plastic. Meat acquisitions that come out of your shopping bag like this probably came from a butcher. You know, a place where whole and large pieces of recently slaughtered animals are delivered and then someone with a great deal of expertise and an expensive, dangerous band saw breaks them into the roasts, steaks, and chops we like to eat.
It’s rare we make a meal at home that resembles the typical meat-centric American dinner plate. It’s not the way we like to eat and it’s very expensive given the quality standard we expect any meat we buy to meet. But once in a while, even we like a dinner whose star is meaty.
I prefer lamb to beef for numerous reasons, but most of all for its taste. It has a robust flavor that’s absent in all non-grass-fed steak, and because lamb chops are so much less in demand than say New York Strips, the production is less intensive–less factoryfied. It’s less expensive in general than beef as well. Many people think lamb is gamey or has an unpleasant flavor. That’s not true. Lamb is sometimes prepared in a way that makes it unappealing, but at its best it’s better than steak.
We opted for lamb loin chops, which are like little T-bones. Here they are, out of the paper:
Doesn’t that sort of stir your inner carnivore? Maybe it’s just me since I spent all those deprived years as a vegetarian. I don’t know.
To prepare these, my first step was to take them out of the refrigerator three hours before I planned to cook them. We tied them up with a bit of butcher’s twine because the chops had a thin piece hanging off the end. Both of these steps were taken to ensure even cooking. I seasoned the chops generously with salt and pepper. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. I put a few drops of grapeseed oil in a stainless steel pan and heated it over medium high until the oil just started smoking. Then I put them in the pan and left them alone for four minutes, until they were nicely browned, like this:
I flipped them, seared the second side for two minutes, and transferred them to the hot oven for 10 minutes. I had no idea how long I’d need to cook them. The chops were two inches thick, considerably thicker than most chops called for in recipes I read. I knew though that they would be medium rare if I pulled them when they reached an internal temperature of 140. I am not experienced enough with meat cookery to make a dish like this without my trusty instant-read thermometer.
I served them with Brussels sprouts and Japanese sweet potato wedges. Even though we knew we got the temperature right, it was still exciting to cut into them and see how perfectly cooked they were, blush-colored, luscious, and moist. I made a little pan sauce, but we didn’t even use it. The chops were so good on their own. Some things really are very simple.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
We should have taken a picture of the finished product after cutting into it, the difference is really obvious when you look at a piece of meat that was brought up to room temperature prior to cooking vs. one that was grilled straight out of the fridge.
Dan – I was thinking the SAME thing. I was wondering where the AFTER picture was… Sometimes you just forget but next time you won’t…..
We should have, but we were impatient to dig in!
That looks amazing!
We get all of our meat, chicken, etc. from local farmers and an organic butcher. It’s all just so yummy that there’s no way I could ever be a vegetarian.
those look so good. where do you buy your meat? do you know how the prices compare to whole foods? thanks!
Hi, Lindsey,
Those came from Giunta’s in Reading Terminal Market, which is one of my favorite places to buy meat. It’s less expensive than Whole Foods, but more expensive than a megamarket. They have a great selection of quality meats, though not all of it is organic/grass fed. As always, ask questions when you shop.
I learned to love lamb at a young age, and fell even harder when we could get great lamb at the greenmarket in NYC, so we were thrilled to learn that this year’s wintertime market in RI would have locally raised lamb – and I think I’m going to need some loin chops, pronto. Gorgeous!
Why grapeseed oil for searing? And terrific tip re: twine! We always get tripped up by the uneven cooking….
Hi, Jeanine,
I used the grapeseed oil because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. You could use any such oil; canola or peanut would both work too.
I don’t know how I grew up in a Greek family hating lamb. My parents are lamb crazed and I showed them this – they loved it! I am trying to sample it more often to start developing a taste for lamb.
I love lamb – it’s easily, without question, my favorite meat. Thanks for the great tips on cooking chops. I’ve also struggled with even cooking. And not to brag, but over here on the other side of the state, we’ve got some awesome lamb farms. Ok, fine, I’m bragging.
Joy, do you know of a good organic butcher in the Philadelphia area? I’m already wise to Bringhurst Meats in South Jersey, but I’m trying to find something on the PA side.