Looking for an easy and elegant spring meal? Look no further than these pan-seared lamb chops with lemon herb gremolata. A wonderful low carb keto recipe. Gremolata: On a cutting board, mince the parsley leaves finely. Add the lemon zest and garlic cloves and mince the whole mixture together a few times. Transfer to a bowl. Lamb Chops: In a large sealable plastic bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the gremolata, salt, and pepper. Add the chops and toss in the bag to coat well with the marinade. Serves 4. Each serving has 1.25g NET CARBS. Food energy: 331kcal Total fat: 31.28g Calories from fat: 281 Cholesterol: 62mg Carbohydrate: 1.95g Total dietary fiber: 0.70g Protein: 13.60g
I made some very important life decisions the other day. Very important. The sort of decisions that really change the course of one’s life. For one, I decided I needed to start wearing more lipstick. I picked my daughter up at a friend’s house and my friend came out wearing her glasses and bright pink lipstick, with no other makeup. And it struck me how nice that looked, so I was inspired to head to the store and grab a bright colour for myself. I am not much of a makeup person at all but I managed to pick a colour that really suited me. Just a little mascara and that lipstick and I feel much more put together somehow. The other very important decision was to start cooking lamb at home more often because it’s one of my favourite foods. See what I mean? Very important decisions. The sort that really change the course of one’s life.
Really, though, about that lamb. I took my mission so much to heart that I actually had lamb every day last week. I am not kidding. I’d purchased a gorgeous locally raised leg of lamb for Easter dinner and there was quite a bit of it leftover. We made a second dinner out of it and then I just ate a slice here and there for lunch throughout the week. Then I was inspired to make these easy but elegant lamb rib chops with a light, fresh gremolata. In case you’ve never heard of it, gremolata is a simple Italian condiment made of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. That’s it, three ingredients just minced together very finely. It’s light and lemon-y and very fresh tasting, perfect for pairing with spring lamb. Lamb is such rich, flavourful meat and it’s so often paired with rosemary and garlic. Which is lovely, of course, but I found that the brightness of the gremolata really offset the rich lamb nicely.
Lamb can intimidate people because they think it’s difficult to cook. But nothing could be further from the truth. It’s one of those meats that practically cooks itself and all you have to do is add in the seasonings and watch the time so you don’t overcook it. The American Lamb I purchased at my local New Seasons (raised by Umpqua Valley Farms) was so tender and juicy and I hardly did anything to it. I really can’t take much credit for how well it turned out, both the roast and the chops. It’s also so nice to know that the lamb was locally raised and not shipped in frozen from New Zealand. American lamb is a fantastic choice for consumers, as it’s raised in every state in the US.
If you’re looking to be inspired more by lamb and all the great meals you can make with it, check out American Lamb for hundreds of recipes. Also be sure to follow their delectable Instagram account at Fan of Lamb. Although there really may be no bigger fan of lamb than me…
- 1 cup parsley leaves loosely packed
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp gremolata
- Salt and pepper
- 1 rack of lamb cut into individual chops 8 rib chops
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
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On a cutting board, mince the parsley leaves finely. Add the lemon zest and garlic cloves and mince the whole mixture together a few times. Transfer to a bowl.
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In a large sealable plastic bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the gremolata, salt, and pepper. Add the chops and toss in the bag to coat well with the marinade.
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Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
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In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chops in a single layer and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium rare.
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Serve chops topped with additional gremolata.
Serves 4. Each serving has 1.25g NET CARBS. Food energy: 331kcal Total fat: 31.28g Calories from fat: 281 Cholesterol: 62mg Carbohydrate: 1.95g Total dietary fiber: 0.70g Protein: 13.60g
