The lamb chops are the best lamb dish I have made to date.  I made them for dinner last night, and Taylor proclaimed that they were the best lamb chops that he’s ever had.  I’ll take his word for it :).  The beauty of this recipe is that it requires very few ingredients, and less than 10 minutes of actual cooking time.  The long marinade process in lemon juice, olive oil and Greek seasoning can be credited for the chops ending up tender with medium center, even when cooked on a relatively high heat.  The lemon helps to break down the lamb to make it moist and juicy, and the Greek flavors of rosemary, oregano and basil go extremely well with lamb.

You could eat this dish with a fork and knife, but encourage your family or guests to pick up the chops with their hands.  The delicate chops just beg for you to tear the meat right from the bone.  The only reason you’ll need a fork is if you serve it with my Paleo Tabbouleh made with cauliflower rice.  The bright citrus flavors and fresh vegetables of the “tabbouleh” go superbly well with the lamb.

I let the lamb chops marinate for a full 24 hours, and they were the most tender of any lamb chops that I have made.  Like I said in the instructions, you can marinate them for 8-24 hours.  Even though it means a little planning ahead, the marinade is so quick to prepare, so it can easily be done the day before, or in the morning before work!

Ingredients

• 1 package lamb chops (4-5)
• 1/4 cup organic olive oil + 1-2 tbs for cooking
• zest and juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup juice)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil (I used mediterranean basil)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• 1. Rinse lamb chops and pat dry
• 2. Trim fat from sides of chops, then place lamb in large ziplock bag
• 3. Add lemon juice, zest, and organic olive oil to large pyrex
• 4. To lemon juice mixture add oregano, garlic powder, rosemary, red pepper flakes and sea salt
• 5. Whisk marinade, then pour into bag with lamb chops
• 6. Remove excess air from bag, seal well, then massage bag with hands to distribute marinade
• 7. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours
• 8. Remove lamb from fridge and set on counter at least one hour before cooking to bring lamb closer to room temperature
• 9. Heat large nonstick pan to medium-high heat with a olive oil
• 10. When oil begins to bubble, add lamb chops with some of the marinade
• 11. As soon as all chops are in the pan, start timer for 4 minutes
• 12. After 3 minutes, cap the pan for the last minute
• 13. When the timer sounds, flip each chop with tongs, then restart timer for 4 minutes
• 14. After 2 minutes, cap the pan again
• 15. When timer sounds, remove from heat
• 16. With tongs, remove chops from pan and place on a large dish to rest for 10-15 mintues
• 17. Enjoy!