Lamb Chops!

I completely forgot to take a picture so you'll just have to use your imagination.

I've recently decided I will never again purchase lamb rib chops. Why pay to have someone cut a rack of lamb into nice little lamb popsicles? I can't for the life of me remember which magazine recently had an article on cutting your own, but it stuck in the back of my mind for a while. I happened to find a good deal on lamb, so I brought a rack home, trimmed the fat and bits of silverskin, and carved it into nice chops. Amazingly enough, I even managed to get them fairly even. Here's what I did:

Marinade for lamb chops:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup red wine

Mix this in your favorite marinading vessel. I prefer plastic bags, but to each their own. Stick back in the fridge for a few hours. This marinade also works for lamb shoulder (make more of the marinade so it will cover the shoulder) or a full rack if you plan on roasting. For roasting, decrease the red wine a bit so it's more like a rub. Take the lamb out of the refrigerator a good 10 minutes or so before cooking so it won't be ice cold when you throw it on the grill or in the oven. Seeing as it was super late and I didn't feel like setting up the BBQ I grilled these on my grill pan for 2 minutes a side then let them rest. I also poured the marinade into a sauce pan when I pulled the chops out of the fridge, added another half cup of wine, and boiled it for a good 25 minutes. Served with some steamed baby broccoli and Parmesan risotto, it was a lovely meal.

Wine pairing: Petite Sirah is always awesome with lamb. There's something about this pairing that brings out the best in both the lamb and the wine. We had the San Marcos Creek 2004 Estate Petite Sirah. It was a rather lovely example of this varietal. Dark berries on the nose, with currant, berry, and a hint of chocolate in the finish. Yum.