| Chinois Grilled Lamb Chops Serving Size: 4-6 Ingredients 2 racks of lamb (about 2 pounds each) trimmed and cut into individual chops
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Marinade: 1 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of mirin (sweet sake)
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
2 cups of chopped scallions
1 tablespoon of dried red chile flakes
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette: 1 cup of peanut oil
1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup each of coarsely chopped mint, cilantro and parsley
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 tablespoon of chopped ginger
a dash of chili oil
Directions - Prepare the marinade: In a bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. In a large shallow dish, pour marinade over the lamb chops and refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.
- While the lamb chops are marinating, prepare the vinaigrette. In a blender, combine all the ingredients, except the oil, and blend until smooth. Slowly add peanut oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat grill.
- Remove lamb chops from marinade and place them on a hot grill. Grill medium rare, about 3 minutes each side, or sauté them in a skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. (Cook the chops in several batches if necessary, but don’t crowd the pan.)
Presentation Make an island of sauce on each plate. Place 3 or 4 lamb chops on center. Decorate with cilantro or mint sprigs on top and serve with stir-fried vegetables or vegetable fried rice. Wine Recommendation Lamb is always exciting for wine lovers because it invites big, strong flavors. I like to experiment with new wines, and I’ve discovered some wonderful Californian Zinfandels that are perfect partners for the powerful flavors in this dish. |
