Cast Iron Lamb Chops – As Seen On PBS

Cast Iron Lamb Chops – As Seen On PBS by me, is my family’s treasured recipe with rosemary, thyme and garlic, seared over high heat and ready in 20 minutes!

It’s Ethnic It’s Tradition It’s Lamb

Every culture on earth has its own beloved dishes built from fairly simple ingredients, and that’s what makes them so distinctive.

Growing up with a first generation Syrian mom and a Scandinavian dad made food a constant topic of conversation in our home.

That sort of talk never happened in my paternal grandmother’s house, because her cooking was, at best, plain.

So my dad saved his loudest praise for my mother’s cooking when we were all around the table.

If I’m honest, now that I’ve lived a few more decades than I care to count, I’m pretty sure my dad married my mom for her cooking alone; not much else united them.

Mediterranean Lamb Chops Marinade

All right, maybe I’m biased, but the Mediterranean approach to seasoning and cooking lamb chops is hands down the best.

My mom was Syrian, so I’m speaking from both love and lived experience. 

A few years ago, I married an old British fellow and told him, “Don’t ever expect mint jelly on any lamb served in this house”!

We both cracked up, and he’s never brought it up again. 

Great Lamb Chops Require Ancient Flavors

When lamb chops are on the menu in my house, you’ll always find what I call the ‘trinity’ of the marinade.

Spread over the chops, which I let sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking, is my meat trinity: Rosemary, Garlic and Thyme.

To bring everything together, I add a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.

Best Lamb Chop Spices

Rosemary has a fragrant, almost exotic aroma and flavor, yet when it marinates meat, it never overwhelms it.

It gently coats the fat with rosemary oil while leaving the meat’s natural flavor intact. 

Garlic. What would the cooking world be without garlic?

Exactly! With the flavor garlic brings to food, raw or roasted, plus its impressive nutrients, there’s always plenty of it in my fridge or growing out in the yard.

I’d bet it’s part of why my dad married my mom, who could cook her tahootie off! Garlic went into everything!

Thyme, to me, is that tiny leaf that’s a pain to strip from the stem but delivers so much flavor.

Its roots go all the way back to ancient Egypt, which is probably why my mom used it so often. 

Lamb Chops

What’s your favorite chop? Mine will always be lamb chops!

When a gorgeous rack of lamb chops has been ‘Frenched’, I know a special meal is coming.

Frenching lamb chops is the restaurant-style way to serve them, and it simply means trimming away the muscle and fat from the extended rib bone. 

The Heat Of Cast Iron

What’s the best grill grate material for moving heat efficiently?

Exactly. Cast iron. So what’s the best pan for transferring heat when you’re cooking meat indoors? Exactly again. Cast iron. 

My son Omar is a professional chef. He cooks everything from tweezers-plated, fancy fine dining dishes to down-home barbecue, and his meat always comes out perfectly. 

While cooking on The Great American Recipe program with PBS, Episode 5 Round 1, I was asked to make the most memorable meal I’d ever had. That was easy. 

Every year on my birthday, my son makes his mama the best lamb chops I’ve ever eaten anywhere!

That, is what I prepared for the show. A full, elegant Mediterranean lamb chop dinner in under 60 minutes.

Featured in The Great American Recipe Cookbook, is MY RECIPE!! So thrilled.

The Secret To Perfectly Cooked Lamb Chops

The secret? A screaming-hot cast iron pan on the stove!

Sear the meat until it has a proper crust, then move the same cast iron pan into a 450-degree oven to finish the chops in under 15 minutes.

Always let them rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

The judges called it absolutely ‘restaurant quality’ cooking and plating!

Thank you Omar for teaching your mama how to cook lamb chops!

How To Make Perfect Cast Iron Lamb Chops At Home

First, let the lamb sit at room temperature with a generous coating of coarse salt and fresh herbs. This helps tenderize the meat.

Secondly, heat a heavy cast iron pan until it’s very hot on the stovetop, sear the meat, then move it to a hot oven for less than 15 minutes.

Last, let the cooked lamb chops rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. That way the juices stay in the meat instead of spilling out the second you cut in.

I’ve since bought cast iron fajita pans. I heat them in the oven, and when the chops are ready, I move them into the hot fajita pans so the meal stays nice and warm at the table. 

What To Serve With Cast Iron Lamb Chops

I have two favorite dishes I love to make when serving lamb chops.

They’re my go-to sides because I can make them ahead of time and focus all my attention on the chops while they cook. 

Green Bean Bundles are a bright, flavorful dish of Haricot Vert tied with blanched leeks, dressed in my favorite Lemon Dressing and finished with tri-colored tomatoes or peppers. 

Mediterranean Orzo Salad is made with cooked orzo tossed with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. 

If you’d rather serve something hot, fingerling potatoes tossed with olive oil, coarse salt and rosemary, then roasted in the same hot oven, make a wonderful side as well. 

Ingredients Needed

• Rack of Lamb
• Coarse salt
• Dijon mustard
• Fresh rosemary
• Fresh thyme
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Lemon juice

Equipment Needed

• Large cast iron pan – my favorites!
• Tongs
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Basting brush
• Small mixing bowl
• Large plate – to marinate the chops
• Citrus press
• Garlic press
• Meat thermometer – these take the guesswork out of cooking meat perfectly.
• Stovetop or burner and Oven