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GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH RHUBARB CHUTNEY
Serves 4
For the Chops:
Serve 1-2 lamb chops per person; 1 1/2 inch thick.
1. Dry the surface of each lamb chop with a paper towel and sprinkle liberally with Montreal Dry Rub (recipe on this website); refrigerate uncovered for 1- 4 hours, preferably overnight. (Note: like steak, allowing the surface moisture on the lamb chops to evaporate in the fridge produces a more flavorful crust when the chop or steak is pan fried or grilled.) Remove the chops from the fridge and bring to room temperature at least 30-45 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat your grill and grill the chops over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side: 3 minutes per side will give you medium-rare (pink) to rare chops; 4 minutes per side will produce medium to medium-rare chops. You can also use an instant-read meat thermometer: 120-125 degrees equals medium-rare which is generally considered the ideal doneness for lamb; well-done, over-cooked lamb loses its flavor and is tough.
3. Once the chops have reached the desired doneness, remove them from the grill and tent them loosely for about 5 minutes to allow the juices in the meat that have migrated to the surface during the grilling to sink back into the chop. Tenting will give you a juicier piece of meat.
For the Rhubarb Chutney:
Yield about 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
-2 cups coarsely diced rhubarb (about 1/2-3/4 inch length)
-1/4 cup chopped red onion
-1 1/2 cups demerara sugar (or light brown sugar)
-1/4 cup lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon minced
-1/4 cup cider vinegar
-1/2 tart green apple, peeled and diced to about ¼ inch
-1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
-1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or half a 3 inch cinnamon stick
-5 black peppercorns
-4 whole cloves
Preparation:
1. Place freshly cut rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients. (Note: Previously frozen fresh rhubarb loses its crunchiness, so you can add all the ingredients at the same time if using thawed frozen rhubarb.)
2. Continue to simmer 15-20 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender and the mixture has thickened.
3.The chutney will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Wine pair: a full bodied Zinfandel, Rioja, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Nero d’Avola red wine will complement the richness of the lamb.