Moroccan Grilled Lamb Chops

Home of the free, because of the brave.
~Unknown

Memorial Day = grilling season.

Not that you need an outdoor grill for this. In our house we make good use of a stovetop grill pan, and that works perfectly with these lamb chops.

The key to this dish is the super flavorful marinade, which will beautifully tenderize most meats. Little note, if you don't care for lamb, you can substitute chicken tenders (one time I made pita wraps with the marinated chicken instead of lamb and the BF went nuts). [Ed. note: She's not kidding.] 

He knows Ina Garten is my spirit animal (love her!), so for a Hanukkah gift he gave me her cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey, and I've practically cooked through the entire tome. No changes were made to the chops or marinade recipes. Ina makes couscous with the lamb chops, but I switched that out for saffron rice (specifically Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice was used, which is available at most local grocery stores, brand link is below), and added pomegranate seeds to the pine nuts and mint. The saffron rice really makes the lamb chops pop! 

Thank you to all the veterans for your service, thank you Ina for all the inspiration, and I hope all of you enjoy a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with family and friends.

Adapted from: Ina Garten, Cooking for Jeffrey
Number of Servings: 6 (3 chops per person)

Ingredients

• 6 large garlic cloves
• ⅓ cup julienned fresh mint leaves 
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric 
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds 
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin 
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons) 
• Kosher salt 
• 5 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for the grill 
• 3 racks of lamb (6 to 7 ribs each), cut into chops 
• 1 ½ cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (12 ounces) 
• 1 ½ teaspoons Sriracha 
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• Saffron Rice with Pine Nuts, Mint and Pomegranate Seeds for serving, recipe follows

Saffron Rice with Pine Nuts, Mint and Pomegranate Seeds

• Two 5-ounce packages of Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice (www.mahatmarice.com/en-us/products/2/SaffronYellow.aspx), or long grain white rice and add saffron
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• ½  cup julienned fresh mint leaves, loosely packed 
• ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted 
• Pomegranate seeds

Directions

1. Place the garlic, mint, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, and 2 ½ teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until finely ground. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine.
2. Place the chops in one or two non-metal dishes large enough to hold them in one layer. Spread the garlic-and-herb mixture evenly on both sides. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, Sriracha, and lemon juice, and spread it evenly on the lamb chops.
3. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate for 6 to 24 hours (I marinate for 4-6 hours only. The meat can turn mushy if left too long in the yogurt).
4. If Using Charcoal Grill: Prepare grill with hot coals and oil the cooking grate. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and grill 5 to 6 inches above the coals, first with the yogurt side up (marinade and all) for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until medium rare. Transfer to a clean plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the saffron rice.
5. If Using Stovetop Grill Pan: Heat and brush oil on grill pan. Sprinkle lamb with salt. Grill on one side for 2 minutes, then flip and grill for 1 minute on other side for rare. Transfer to a clean plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the saffron rice.
6. Saffron Rice With Pine Nuts and Mint: Follow package directions. After cooking, let sit in the pan covered for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the mint and pine nuts. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before serving. (If using regular long grain rice, add 1 teaspoon of saffron strands to the boiling water before adding rice.)