This week we kicked off our first Grape Cru Wine Pairing dish, Lamb Chops. Pairing the Petite Sirah with the lamb was recommended to us, and the fact that we don't normally cook that much lamb, we thought it would be a great venture.We kept the recipe real simple, which is always our goal. We base each recipe off what you already have around the kitchen plus a few items here and there for simple, quick and delicious meals. That aside.
LAMB CHOPS
INGREDIENTS
6 bone in lamb chops, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds
2 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the lamb at least 1 hour (or up to 4 hours) before cooking: Chop together the garlic, salt, rosemary, and pepper to make a coarse rub. Rub the lamb with the mixture, cover, and set aside. (If you are not going to cook them within 2 hours, refrigerate, then bring to room temperature an hour before cooking.)
2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and coat lightly with the olive oil. Place the racks flesh-side down in the pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145° F for medium rare (the temperature will rise about 10° when the lamb is out of the oven). Transfer the racks to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the fresh herb sprigs.
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Our lamb turned out great, although it was a bit salty cause I based the rub off a rack of lamb dish which after cut has less surface area for the seasonings. It paired amazingly with the rich dark Guenoc without a hitch.
We also made couscous and green beans to accompany the lamb. For the couscous use vegetable stock instead of water, trust me on this one, turns a 2 into a 10. For the green beans just fry them in olive oil and put minced garlic and salt half way through cooking to avoid burning the garlic.
Altogether a great meal with a tasty wine. Quick and easy.
Here are some images from our kitchen:
1 / 2 /3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Take care.
