Lamb Rosemary garlic-and Lemon – A successful partnership indeed!
Posted on October 29, 2010 by Nina Timm in lamb
Lamb Rosemary garlic-and Lemon is such a classic combination, isn’t it? A partnership that that just works, like Ozzie and Sharon, Bonnie and Clyde or Ike and Tina Turner. It is a partnership that brings forth a successful meal every time, whether it is a leg of lamb, a lamb roll or chops.
Lamb Rosemary garlic-and Lemon. It just works! Lamb is a firm favorite in our household and my family will happily eat it in whatever form I present it to them, but lamb chops with lemon, garlic and rosemary get a thumbs up every time!
Lamb Rosemary garlic-and Lemon. Lamb is one of the most versatile meats you can buy. Cooked properly, it can also be one of the tastiest meats around. There are however a few tricks and hints that I have gathered over time and I will gladly share them with you.
How to buy lamb
This is the time of year here in South Africa where you can find delicious Spring Lamb, in other words a lamb that is 5-12 months old. During the winter months, I like to buy mutton, the meat is slightly tougher, but you then use it for braises, stews and normally recipes that require lots of cooking. Grilling or braaiing season is here for us now, so the ultimate treat is tender succulent Lamb cutlets with delicate flavors. Some people prefer Karoo lamb, others swear by the milder tastes of grass-fed lambs. When you buy a lamb, make sure the meat
is firm, finely grained and pale-to-dark-pink meat. The outer layer of fat should be smooth and white. Check where the bones were cut, it must be porous, moist, and red.
Lamb Cuts
Leg of lamb
Most probably the cut that is associated with a traditional Sunday roast. Nothing beats a slow roasted leg of lamb with all the trimmings, such as sweet potato gratin, roast potatoes, cauliflower and cheese sauce. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Lamb rib
My family’s favorite cut for the grill or braai. The children like my Moroccan Lamb riblets. They are sticky, sweet and spicy and when they are done, their plates look like a Halloween scene, “dead bones” where ever you look! You can leave the ribs whole or cut it into riblets, perfect for snack food, teen parties or picnic food!
Lamb Loin
To debone a lamb loin requires a little skill, but I am sure if you have a friendly butcher , he will be happy to do the job for you. It is ideal for entertaining guests, because it is a no-fuss meal, great for portion control and it presents very beautifully on the plate.
Lamb Shanks
Aaah, now that is comfort food for you. Slow food is what it is all about here. Lamb shanks cooked in a Dutch oven with lots of fragrant herbs and spices until it is fall-off-the-bone-tender. Served on creamy mashed potatoes or polenta for an Italian feast.
Lamb Mince
Lamb Mince makes the tastiest burgers. I will choose it over beef mince any day. Although not always readily available and a tad more expensive than beef, it so much more flavorful that it is worth every penny you pay more!.
Stew meat
What can be better than a hearty lamb stew when it is a grim an cold day. My favorite cuts for making stews are the knuckles and the neck. A fragrant lamb knuckle curry is the ultimate comfort food and who can resist a belly-warming Green Bean Stew
Lamb Chops
Without a doubt the flagship cut of the lamb. If you buy good organic lamb and use the right cooking methods and time, you can be guaranteed of tender chops every time.
Lamb chops are quite simple and quick to prepare. Most people, when they hear the phrase ‘lamp chops’ think of the rib chop – this is the same as the ‘rib steak’ of beef, which becomes the ‘ribeye’, when cut off the bone, In lamb, the bone is always left in.
The loin chop is the same cut as the ‘T-bone’ in beef and has the same distinctive t-shaped bone.
Which brings me to my favorite way of adorning lamb chops. Rosemary, garlic and lemon, to me is just perfect with lamb chops. I find it quite interesting that cuisine around the world all use these flavors as a base and then give it their authentic twist. See for yourself…
Moroccan – rosemary, garlic, lemon and Cumin
Italian – rosemary, garlic, lemon and Oregano
Greek – rosemary, garlic, lemon and Mint
So here it is them…my favorite way of making Lamb Chops
Lamb Chops with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon
Ingredients
8 lamb chops
3 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
a few sprigs of rosemary
salt/pepper
olive oil
Place the garlic in a pestle and mortar and bash until it becomes a paste. You can add some coarse salt that will help the process somewhat. When it is a soft paste, add some olive oil and mix. Add some lemon juice and you are ready to go. Place the lamb chops in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Close and leave in fridge for at least ½ hour. although overnight is best!
When you are ready to cook the chops, remove from the bag and scrape off the excess marinade. Heat your griddle pan until it is very hot and grill the chops to perfection.
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17 Responses to “Lamb Rosemary garlic-and Lemon – A successful partnership indeed!”
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March 22, 2017
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A heavenly match indeed! My favourite still remains lamb rib (smoked even better)!
Ah you are one of the rare mutton lovers, I thought it was just me, Prince Charles (who has started a movement to encourage people to start eating it again) and of course lovers of a Durban mutton curry.
Do you prefer grassy West Coast lamb or Karoo lamb? I like the herby taste of Karoo lamb but some say the grass-fed is more tender.
Tom Robbins
I totally agree – lamb mince is my first choice for burgers (koftas, keftedes) any day.
Yummmmmy!! I usually prepare meet with a rosemary=)but do it in another way. Thanks for your great post! I will add this to my list of dishes for my family =)
Lamb is a favourite around here Nina. In fact I remember that I have several lovely chops in the freezer ready to go.
This is exactly one of my favorite ways to eat lamb. I will also sub the rosemary for oregano. Both are wonderful topped with some crumbled feta, too. 🙂 Looks delicious, Nina!
Lamb chops are king but I do enjoy all the cuts. We're now in the braise mode.
Grilled lamb chops are No. 1 here, especially with rosemary as you've shown.
Ooo i love how you have managed to make even that raw lamb look absolutely amazing!!
I totally agree with Junglefrog, only you can make raw meat look soooooo good!
I love lamb with Rosemary!!! Great job!
I am a real sucker for lamb – especially chops on the braai where the fat is crisp and the centre is pink. Drooling now!!
This does sound good…even though it's raw! haha
Wow!Its Looks very Delicious!
Used lamb rib chops last night (loin chops are way too expensive) and possibly the tastiest, juiciest chops ever. Exactly 2 minutes each side turned once only produced the perfect result. May have overdone the garlic a little but as my wife used to say, moderation in nothing!!!
Wonderful, I am glad you liked it!