Pan-Fried Lamb Chops With Minted Pea Salad
Eric Kim
Test Kitchen-Approved
Photo by Rocky Luten
- Serves
- 1
- Prep Time
- 1 Hour 5 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 Minutes
Here's a great recipe to start with if you're just learning how to cook lamb chops on the stove—which is, in my opinion, the easiest method. Not least because, when you've got a protein as small and as delicate as this, you really only need to pan-fry them for a couple minutes per side. This means, too, that you won't stink up your 250–square foot shoebox studio with meat fumes, nor will this short of a cooking time make much of a mess in terms of oil splatter.
My pan-fried lamb chops start with a spicy, herbaceous marinade, which lends nice flavor and tenderizes the meat. Then, they go straight into a heated nonstick or cast-iron skillet (no additional oil because there's oil in the marinade), followed by a cup of frozen peas you warm up right in the rendered lamb fat left over in the pan. This is a special but easy dinner for dates nights in ... with yourself.
Ingredients
Lamb chops
- 1 large jalapeño pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar (or any vinegar you have on hand)
- 4 small lamb chops (about 1/2 pound)
Pea salad
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar (or any vinegar you have on hand)
- 1 small handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
Featured Video
Pan-Fried Lamb Chops With Minted Pea Salad
Featured in: For Better, Juicier Lamb Chops, Use This Marinade.
Directions
Lamb chops
- Step 1
In a food processor or blender, blitz the jalapeño, garlic, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Place the lamb chops in a resealable plastic bag or glass container with about 1/4 cup of the marinade. Shmoosh around. Let sit overnight in the fridge if possible, or for at least an hour at room temperature.
- Step 2
When ready to cook, heat a skillet over medium heat and brush excess marinade off lamb chops. Fry chops, 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until nicely charred on the outside and just cooked through on the inside (120°F for rare and closer to 145°F for well-done; add an extra minute per side if you prefer the latter). Plate, then prepare the pea salad.
Pea salad
- Step 1
Throw peas into the now empty, dirty pan (where the lamb chops have cooked) and season with salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until peas are warmed through. Garnish with the mint.
- Step 2
Serve lamb chops alongside peas and the remaining marinade.