What ruins lamb chops is usually not the marinade but cold meat and a lukewarm pan. A chop straight from the fridge burns outside while the inside stays raw; half an hour on the worktop solves it. The pan needs to be hot enough to smoke, and the chop should be turned once. Every turn interrupts the crust forming.
Ingredients
For the meat
For the top
To serve alongside
Method
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Rest the meat
Take the chops out of the fridge and leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Dry them
Dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper. Wet meat steams in the pan and will not brown.
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Season
Rub them with salt, pepper and oregano and drizzle with olive oil.
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Heat the pan
Heat a cast iron pan until it smokes faintly. Add no oil; the fat on the meat is enough.
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Sear
Put the chops in and leave them untouched for 3 minutes, turn once and cook for 3 minutes more.
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Baste with butter
Add the butter, whole garlic cloves and fresh thyme to the pan. Spoon the foaming butter over the meat for 1 minute.
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Rest
Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and leave for 5 minutes. This is what stops them losing juice when cut.
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Cook the vegetables
In the same pan, turn the peppers and tomatoes for 4 minutes and serve alongside.
Tips
- Salt them just before cooking. Meat salted half an hour earlier gives up its juice.
- In a crowded pan the chops steam. Cook them four at a time.
- Do not skip the resting; a chop that has not waited five minutes leaves a puddle on the plate.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.