Easy, Weeknight Lamb Chops

This Recipe also Works well for Chicken or Steak

Nov 17, 2008 Debbie Kwiatoski

Sick of the usual lamb chops and want a fresh - and slightly "exotic" way to prepare them? Love Shish Kebab, but don't really want to go to all that bother, especially on

Putting dinner on the table every night doesn't have to mean sticking to the usual and ordinary fare. These easy lamb chops can be assembled almost as quickly as seasoned hamburgers or roast chicken, but they give the table a real "kick," especially on a cold fall or winter night.

Serve them with rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf and either a tomato salad or tossed green salad. For an especially hearty meal, try also adding a green bean or fava bean dish.

While the instructions are for lamb shops, this basic recipe also works well with chicken or steak. It does not work well with pork (a meat that really isn’t used in Islamic or Kosher Middle Eastern cuisine for religious reasons). The marinade is also too heavy for fish, which requires something far lighter.

Ingredients:

  • Lamb Chops – any style – two to three per diner
  • ½ can Tomato Paste
  • ½ cup Total: minced onions, garlic and green pepper
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons Chaimen, or to taste - the recipe for Chaimen can be found by following this link.
  • ¼ cup Chopped parsely for garnishing
  • Lemon wedges for garnishing
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – enough to drizzle over the top of the chops to finish

Method:

  1. Mix tomato paste, minced onions, garlic, pepper, chaimen and ½ the parsley together into a nice paste.
  2. Pat the lamb chops dry with an absorbent cloth and coat each side with the mixture, really rubbing it into the meat.
  3. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least a half hour – If possible, do this step the night or morning before serving, as the longer the chops marinate, the more infused with the flavors they become.
  4. Before grilling the chops, if the marinade is too thick on the meat, you may scrape most of it off - it has done its job - but leave a little for flavor!
  5. On an outdoor grill, under a broiler or on to of the stove in a ridged grilling pan, place the chops. (If you are using a ridged pan, allow the pan to become hot to the point of smoking before placing on the meat – or it may stick).
  6. Grill each side to your taste of "rareness,’ and depending upon the thickness of the chop. (Note: if you are grilling the meat on top of the stove and want a more well-done interior without an overly charred crust, you can place the chops in the oven at 350 degrees F. to finish them off.
  7. Remove to a serving plate. Sprinkle the remaining minced parsley over the chops and lightly drizzle with the olive oil.

Serve with lemon wedges

The copyright of the article Easy, Weeknight Lamb Chops in Middle Eastern Cuisine is owned by Debbie Kwiatoski. Permission to republish Easy, Weeknight Lamb Chops in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.