Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Parsley Mint Chimichurri and Marinated Romas

My family Never had lamb growing up.  Although my dad liked it, my mom hated it.  My aunt and maternal grandmother hated it, too.  I did not have lamb until three years ago.  Since then, I have blogged about lamb ribs, lamb chops, and more, brined, braised, roasted and grilled.  Today's short blog is all about grilled lamb shoulder chops which I'd marinated and served, with marinated slivered Roma tomatoes and garlic bread. Let's get to it, shall we?

Lamb chop marinade:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint and 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

zest and juice of one lime

salt and pepper, pinch each

Place the lamb shoulder chops in a large zip lock plastic bag.  Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly with a fork or whisk, and pour that into the bag with the chops.  Completely seal the zip lock and smush (yes, I said "smush") the ingredients around the chops.  Let them marinate for one or more hours.  I did not have that much time, so an hour, it was. Remove the marinate bag about thirty minutes before you start grilling so the meat can arrive at room temperature.

Marinade for the Roma tomatoes:

Slice into slivers Roma tomatoes; one per person.  Remove the seeds and ribbing. In a bowl, add:

1 clove garlic, grated

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

small pinch salt and pepper

 

Whisk the ingredients thoroughly and add the tomatoes to the bowl.  Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.  To serve, use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the marinade.  I served them over a fragrant bed or fresh basil leaves from my potted patio garden. 

The Chimichurri:

In a small food processor or blender, add:  2 tablespoons fresh leaves mint, 1 tablespoon fresh leaves flat leaf Italian parsley, 1 garlic clove, 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Process until the mix becomes thick like a pesto. 

When you are ready to grill, place your grill plate or grill skillet over medium-high heat.  If you are grilling outdoors, make sure you add just a little evoo on a towel or use a non-stick spray on the grill.  Although there is, of course, evoo in the lamb marinate. there are also ingredients that bring out the sugars in the meat and that will cause it to stick to the grill.  This is going to be so good!

When the grill is very hot, add the lamb chops.  Allow the chops to grill four to five minutes per side.  Immediately remove the chops and set aside.  If you want cross grill marks, change chop positions after three minutes and leave it for another three minutes.  

Remove the chops when done. It is alright if they are a little rare in the middle.  If you would like them more well done, leave the chops on for eight minutes per side. When you are ready to plate, add a few fresh basil leaves stem spine down so the leaf acts like a small cup.  Layer a few leaves to form a bed.  Using a slotted spoon, arrange the tomatoes over the basil.  After allowing the chop to rest for several minutes, up to five minutes, plate with the tomatoes.  Drizzle teaspoon fulls of the chimichurri over the chops.  Add a sprig of mint or rosemary, very commonly associated with lamb dishes, as garnish. Serve with your favorite bread and enjoy!

Thank You for your time and consideration!  

Enjoy and now...go cook something for someone you love!!!