Lamb Shoulder Chops with Smoky Red Pepper-Shallot Butter from Fine Cooking Magazine, April/May 2011

If you know your meat, you know that this is lamb. If you know me, you know I love lamb very, very much. If you really know me,  you know that I am at heart a minimalist when it comes to good meat, thinking that a good dose of salt and pepper is all that it needs. It is when I am asked to go beyond that simple spicing on my favorite meats (steak and lamb) that I cringe and whimper.

Which is why, had you wandered by my kitchen earlier this afternoon, you'd have heard me whimpering as I was working over my mortar and pestle.

A little past center in the current issue of Fine Cooking Magazine is a section called Butcher's Best. In this section are four recipes that use various cuts of lamb; the shank, shoulder chops, riblets and loin. The information on each cut, what to look for and how to buy lamb was extremely interesting (worth the purchase of the magazine just for this section), and all four recipes looked worthy of making.

In fact, I had all four tabbed, but unfortunately, the only cuts that I could get on sale after Easter were the shanks and chops (I couldn't even find riblets). Tonight, I decided to make the chops since they took the least amount of prep and cooking time.

The ribs are covered with a rub that is made in a mortar. Before getting mine I tried making the rubs without a mortar and pestle and now that I have one, I don't know how I did it. They're worth the purchase, I promise. The rub consists of garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika and olive oil. Once a smooth paste is made, it's rubbed on the meat, which can either sit on the counter for an hour (what I did) or covered and in the fridge overnight.

Come dinner time, the chops are simply put in a hot, heavy skillet and cooked to desired doneness. While they're cooking, the smoky red pepper-shallot butter is made by mashing together softened butter, finely chopped shallots, chopped roasted red pepper, smoked paprika and sherry vinegar. Even with the vinegar warmed a bit as instructed, I had a hard time getting it to incorporate with the butter, but I did my best.

When the chops are cooked, the butter is slathered on and they're served.

Remember the whimpering and cringing? It was for naught. I found the flavor of the rub and butter to be exceptional on the lamb. It didn't overpower the flavor of the meat but it did enhance it very well. Dudette was also hooked and ate a huge serving. Hubby thought it tasted ok, but he was more focused on the fact that the chops weren't of the best quality (it's true that they were tough and fatty, unfortunately, but that is not the fault of the recipe, but the meat department of our store). I served this with rice pilaf and a simple green salad. The rice absorbed the juices beautifully and tasted fantastic with the lamb.

For how simple this dish is to put together, it packs a powerful punch and looks lovely with the butter melting on the lamb chops. I highly recommend it; but with a better cut of lamb chop than we had.

Lamb Shoulder Chops with Smoky Red Pepper-Shallot Butter
from Fine Cooking Magazine

2 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and coarsely ground
1/2 plus 1/8 tsp. sweet or hot pimentón (smoked paprika)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) lamb shoulder blade or arm chops (about 2 lb. total)
2 oz. (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped piquillo pepper (or roasted red pepper)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, warmed slightly

Combine the garlic and 1 ­tsp. salt in a small mortar and grind to a smooth paste with the pestle. Add the oregano, cumin, and 1/2 ­tsp. of the pimentón; work with the pestle to combine. Stir in the olive oil to make a smooth paste. Pat the lamb chops dry and rub the paste evenly over all of them. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the butter, shallot, piquillo pepper, vinegar, and the remaining 1/8­ tsp. pimentón. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

Heat two 10- to 12-inch heavy-duty skillets over medium-high heat. Arrange two chops in each skillet and cook until browned on the bottom, about 2­ minutes. Flip and sear on the second side for another minute. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook the chops until the internal temperature registers 125°F for medium rare, 4 ­to 6 ­minutes more. (If you nick the thick part of a chop to peek inside, it should be rosy but not bloody.) For medium doneness, cook to 135°F, 6 ­to 8­ minutes more.

Transfer the chops to a large platter or 4­ dinner plates and immediately smear each with some of the butter. The heat of the chops should melt just enough of the butter to lightly sauce the meat. Let the chops rest for 3­ to 5 ­minutes before serving.