Low Carb Confidential

Don’t be afraid of this zero carb delicacy that you can easily prepare at home!

I’m always amazed at the number of folks I run into who don’t have a clue about how to prepare lamb.  I shouldn’t talk so loud… my wife and I were just as clueless years ago, and that circle of cluelessness included salmon, of all things.  Lamb and salmon seemed to be items you found on five star restaurant menus for $30 or more that required a degree from culinary school to do correctly.  Trust me, it ain’t so.  You don’t have to go out to eat to enjoy lamb, just go out to your market or butcher shop.

Lamb chops basically come in two versions (that I’m aware of): shoulder chops and loin chops.  Shoulder is cheaper and it looks like you’re getting more meat, but to me, it isn’t as tasty; the bone is bigger, and there’s usually grizzle.  For my money, loin is the king of lamb.  In my area, I get it for between $7 and $10 per pound.  You may see differences in how the meat is cut.  Some chops are small and triangular, with a small bone, about 1.5 to 2 inches each side; three of these make a satisfying meal for one person.  Some chops have a “tail” as shown in the photo above.  Some have the meat removed from the “tail” so the bone is exposed like a handle; these are called “Frenched” chops.  When these are left intact in a strip with bones sticking out, it’s known as a “rack” of lamb, and two racks of these are what you’ll see in the expensive restaurants, connected together and pulled into a circle (sometimes with little paper ‘hats’ on the bone tips) to become a “crown roast” of lamb.

Chops are so easy to prepare.  You don’t need any elaborate equipment or ingredients.  The best spice to use with lamb is rosemary.  Rub some olive oil on each chop and sprinkle on some rosemary.  Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chops on medium heat.  Watch carefully and be mindful not to overcook them, because lamb is best medium rare to medium, with pink showing; if they’re overdone, the meat will not be as tender and tasty. 

If you’re doing a rack, you can prepare the same way as chops; brown the rack on both sides in a skillet after seasoning, then put the rack in a baking dish or pan in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  It will still be rare after this, so let it “rest” for a while after you take it out of the oven, no longer than 8 or 10 minutes, and it will continue cooking internally.  If it’s still not done to your preference, slice the rack into chops and return to the frying pan for a few minutes on medium.

Now if I could only figure out how to prepare March Hare.

Filed under: Atkins, cooking, Dining Out Low Carb, Food, Induction, Megamas, recipe, Starting on Low Carb Tagged: | cooking, lamb, loin chop, recipe, rosemary