Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops

Lamb loin chops are a wonderful, elegant way to serve lamb. They lend themselves well to a quick grilling outside, or a pan sear inside as I've done here. The beauty of pan searing is to be able to make a pan sauce which I consider a real bonus.

5 thick (1-inch) lamb loin chops

Marinade:

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary and/or thyme leaves (I used a mix)

palmful mint leaves (optional)

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

Pan Sauce:

1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

1/4 white wine

2 Tbsp butter

Season the chops generously with salt and pepper.

Pulse together the herbs and garlic in a small food processor.

Place the chops in a large resealable plastic bag and add the herb mixture, oil and lemon juice. I also add the leftover lemon peel - you could have zested the peel for even more flavor.

Seal the bag and massage the chops in the marinade to distribute evenly. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or ideally until the next day.

Heat a dash of olive oil in a sturdy skillet - my favorite is a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Add the chops (with whatever herbs cling to them) and brown on the first side - about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the chops and add any remaining marinade elements into the pan. Brown the second side a few minutes until the center of the chops achieves 130F for rare (according to the USDA).

Remove the chops to a platter and cover with foil - they will continue to heat through, gaining about 5 more degrees as they rest covered).

Make the pan sauce by adding the broth and wine to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until reduced in half. Add the butter and swirl to incorporate.

Plate the chops with your favorite sides and dress with pan sauce. Serves 4.

Cook’s Notes: You can strain the pan sauce for a more delicate, cleaner presentation, but I happen to like the flavor of all those little bits in the sauce. I don’t strain normally.

If you don’t have fresh herbs you can just use Herbs de Provence or Italian herbs and it will be great. That should never stop you from making this.

Here I served with egg noodles - great with the sauce - and Swiss Chard.

For the Swiss chard, I sautéed half a purple onion with half a jalapeño pepper.

I then added the Swiss Chard and cooked it down just until the stalk pieces were crisp tender and the greens had just wilted.

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