I will apologise to any vegetarians now if you find this post offensive. Or maybe not! My name is Peter and I’m a lamboholic! Yep! That’s right. It’s an addiction. It’s become so expensive to buy this stuff right now that I couldn’t resist these beautiful cutlets when I saw them at the butchers the other day. Priced at $2.50 each I was warned before I made my purchase. Funny how life has become. Your own butcher warns you before you hand over the money!….LOL I almost felt like we were making a clandestine transaction!
In all seriousness, they were bloody delicious. I prepared these quite simply by sprinkling over some salt and pepper liberally and using some Greek oregano. I used a grill pan to seal them off in the initial cooking and then finished them off in a very hot oven till they were really tender. Simplicity personified. Nothing more. Nothing less. I just don’t understand people who say that lamb tastes “gamey” or it smells funny. Maybe they’ve been scarred by bad experiences of eating tough cuts of this meat. All it needs is a herb that will work with it. When I was growing up we always had lamb with oregano. Now I pair it with rosemary, thyme or marjoram. Sometimes I use balsamic vinegar, other times lemon juice. And don’t forget the garlic. These two should be married…that’s how suited they are.
When I gave in to my expensive craving the other day I wanted to enjoy the lamb with some Greek “horta”. “Horta” are bitter greens Greeks eat, usually boiled or blanched that are doused with lashings of oilve oil and lemon juice a.k.a “ladolemono”. They are picked in the wild and they come in a number of varieties. There are “vlita” which I believe are Amaranth, there’s radicchio and others which are very similar to spinach or silver beet. I’m hopeless at research because my mother is the one usually cooking these up. Anyway, I couldn’t find any “horta” so I opted on getting some silver beet and blanching it lightly and dressing it with lots of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
The rest of my lamb feast included some pumpkin. I just sliced the pumpkin up in mini crescent shapes and drizzled some olive oil and honey and sprinkled a little cumin. I baked them in a hot oven for about 40-45 mins and they were crisp around the edges and soft in the centre. So all in all, I had a complete meal of balanced deliciousness. A nice strong red finished this mini feast off and I was set…
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
These Chops are worth every cent. I dont blame you for going for the quality stuff, i think the more we educate ourselves with food, the better we want. And i think its totally worth it
The chops look fantastic, i’m a all lamb n lemon gal ! Best on the bbq or like yours …chargrilled ! Yum ! Now i need to get me some lamb too :p
Peter you have master simplicity and combined it with deliciousness. I love lamb, too, but like you said, it’s become so expensive that I can’t enjoy it as much as I’d like. One of the highlights or your post have to be the pumpkin. Hmmm I love pumpkin :-p
I have to say that fork in the shot makes the lamb chops so much nicer. I truly understand why some people say lamb is gamey or it smells funny, because I used to think the same way. In my home town, we don’t have lamb, but goat and it definitely has stronger taste compare to lamb. I just couldn’t eat it. But lamb I have no problem with… well… most of the time, depends on the cuts. Lamb shanks and chops I love….. give me a Moroccan lamb shanks in a Tajine anytime!
these days, TasteSpotting is so overwhelmed with submissions that I read, but hardly have time to comment on blog posts anymore…but your photo of the lamb chops was so eyecatching I couldn’t NOT say something. something about it is absolutely beautiful (and i don’t even love lamb
)
Me too! Glad you rescinded your apology.
Love your carving fork!
I am a lamb fan as well – Your look so great – I cook them with a pecan / bread / dijon / honey crumb mixture and they are off the charts – I am with you as they are pretty expensive these days so we eat them only once in awhile!!
I have just added Greek oregano to my shopping list – Thanks for the tip.
This meal would have me swooning. The lamb chops look so delectable! I love the chard too.
I am quite puzzled why the lamb chops would be so expensive. Aren’t they from Australian lamb? I thought they’d be cheaper there.
Peter
I love the simplicity of your recipe and wish that the legions of “lamb haters” would be allowed to try lamb prepared properly. Years ago I made a marinade with maple syrup, basalmic vinegar and chopped fresh mint for my shoulder chops, and they were out of this world. I had people eating them that absolutely hated anything and everything to do with lamb. In fact, I’m marinating 4 pounds of shoulder chops now, and those babies will be finished off on the grill. Great post
That fork really is gorgeous. I have those Ikea towels, too.
I have a bunch of lamb that really is gamey, even for lamb. I have to just grind it and make kebab with it. I think the lamb aet too many weeds.
I have to agree about the fork. Lamb doesn’t seem popular at all in Japan. I think it could be that ‘gamey’ lamb is put on the shelves.
It’s a real shame.
Oh Peter! I love lamb too, so no worries here brother… A nice little spread, looks like you are still making good on including more greens in your diet and that is a good thing. keep it up!
oh that lamb price, yep! gone higher ey?
The way you prepare your lamb sounds so delicious. I love lots of herbs, especially oregano. And lamb and garlic really should be married!
I’m getting hungry for pumpkin! Can’t wait for fall.
Love it! Making this for dinner this week. Superb photos also
Absolutely gorgeous Peter! I too love lamb, maybe not an addict but I love it nonetheless. The pictures are totally stunning as per usual. It is making my mouth water just looking at those cutlets. I love the way you kept the seasoning nice and simple too.
that plate of food is so lovely that i want to cry…
a perfect dinner
ps – i love lamb more than you
Lamb is sooooooo good, Peter. I like mine very simple, too. Salt, pepper, oregano & a little lemon. Mmm. I could eat lamb every day, so consider me a fellow lamboholic
Those cutlets look great Peter! I don’t get to have lamb very often these days – it isn’t big in Florida…tooo bad. So when I do have it, I like to have it plain and simple too, so I can really enjoy the flavor! Goat is gamey…lamb, rich and delicious!
Yes Peter this is a feast fit for a King at a Kings ransom in price…but so worth it!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I live nearby you… It’s quite funny that you butcher would warn you beforehand – don’t they want to share the good piece of meat with customers?
I think lamb got its gamey reputation when mutton was passed off as lamb; mutton (meat from full grown sheep) does have a much more gamey flavor than lamb. Also, in the US, much of the lamb sold here comes from New Zealand and is cryo-vaced for shipping. A local butcher told me there is something in the gas used in the cryo-vacing process by some companies that emphasizes the gamey flavor of meat. I suspect in Australia you don’t face this issue. As for your pictures, they’re gorgeous as always.
lamb and garlic is heavenly!! i’m a lamboholic too no worries. it’s bloody delicious and these look awesome! i remember having a sitdown last winter ON MY OWN, mind you, with a leg of lamb. polished it all off – well nearly, and saved the rest for a diva-deluxe sandwich for lunch the next day. the best thing i’ve done so far i reckon. jokes! x
Just saw this and have to fess up too – I’m a lambaholic as well! Let’s start a support group…
this looks so good i went out right after i read this & bought all the ingredients, im making it tomorrow night for dinner. looks too good.
Those lamb cutlets were worth every cent that you paid for them……..simple, just salt and pepper, just the way I like it…….
what a lovely meal… simply beautiful…