Grilled Double Lamb Chops by Geoffrey Zakarian

By Chef Geoffrey Zakarian

It's nearly impossible to cook thin lamb chops so they're nicely cara­melized, lightly charred, and tasty on the outside without overdoing them on the inside. This recipe solves that dilemma by calling for double chops, which have two rib bones each and are at least 2 inches thick. The extra thickness translates to longer cooking time on the grill, which means bet­ter flavor development. With just one double chopper entree serving, each diner gets a big, juicy dose of lambiness. 

Make sure you buy really good, ripe tomatoes for the pudding. It's a lovely rustic accompaniment for the lamb: imagine the best tomato and bread sandwich or a perfect bruschetta, baked in the oven to lock in all the flavors, and that's what you have.

Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon minced shallots (½ small shallot)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the grill rack

1 teaspoon Pommery or other whole-grain mustard

6 double lamb rib chops (each about 8 ounces), Frenched

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 small sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Tomato-Bread Pudding

6 Servings 

12 ripe medium tomatoes (about 3½ pounds)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¹/₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for greasing the dish

1 large baguette, sliced on the bias about ¼ inch thick

5 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

5 tablespoons finely chopped basil

Timing Note: The lamb chops are marinated in their rub overnight in the refrigerator. The tomato-bread pudding should also be prepared in advance; you can time it to finish baking and rest just as you're grilling the lamb chops (preferable) or you can complete the entire process in advance and then reheat the pudding.

Ingredient Note: Lamb chops come from either the shoulder, rib, or loin section of the animal. The loin chops are from farther back on the animal and have a T-bone; they contain more fat and are therefore the tastiest in simple preparations. The rib chops comprise a rack before it's sliced into chops; they are leaner and very tender. For this recipe, you can use almost any type, but I recommend rib chops. Have your butcher French the chops, which means to trim them in the same manner as a crown rack of lamb, removing all excess fat and gristle from the bones (and exposing them as perfect little "handles" to pick up the chop if you like). Lamb chops can range in thickness from 3/4 of an inch to 1¼ inches; the thicker the better, especially for grilling medium-rare. I prefer imported New Zealand lamb; it's naturally raised, grass-fed, and very consistent.

DIRECTIONS

Marinate the lamb chops overnight


Place the rosemary, garlic, shallots, olive oil, and mustard in a small mixing bowl; stir until thoroughly combined.

Rub the mixture all over the lamb chops, place them in a dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. (The chops can also be marinated in large resealable plastic bags.)

Grill the lamb chops

Prepare a hardwood charcoal fire in an outdoor grill.

Allow the coals to burn down until they're grayish white on the outside and glowing red on the inside.

Position the rack 4 to 5 inches above the coals.

The fire should be hot-you should be able to hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for no more than 5 seconds (any longer and the fire isn’t hot enough.)

Season the lamb chops generously with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil the rack.

Place the lamb chops on the rack and grill until medium-rare (a meat ther­mometer inserted into the thickest part will indicate a temperature of 125 °F), about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer the lamb chops to a platter, lightly cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Garnish the chops with parsley sprigs and serve with the tomato-bread pudding.

TOMATO-BREAD PUDDING

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes, then blanch them in the boil­ ing water for about 30 seconds to loosen the skins.

Transfer the tomatoes to a strainer.

When cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and position the strainer over a medium bowl; scoop the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes into the strainer.

Press the pulp to extract as much of the juice as possible.

Arrange the tomato halves, cut side up, on a large plate. Sprinkle with the garlic and season moderately with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Pour any juices that accu­mulate on the plate into the strained tomato juice.

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan or preheat the broiler.

Brush the baguette slices on both sides with the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil and grill or broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Season the toasts with salt and pepper and transfer to a large plate.

Grill or broil the tomatoes on one side until lightly charred, about 3 minutes, then return to the plate.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil a shallow 3 x 9-inch baking dish.

Arrange half the tomatoes on the bottom, pressing them down with a spatula.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons each of the parsley and basil; sea­ son generously with salt and pepper.

Top the tomatoes with half the toasted baguette slices.

Repeat the procedure with the remaining tomatoes, 2 table­ spoons each of the parsley and basil, and the remaining toast.

Pour about 1 cup of the juice evenly over the bread pudding.

Place a piece of aluminum foil over the pudding, then weight it with another pan.

Place the dish in the oven and bake until the liquid is absorbed and the tomatoes are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove the weight and foil and bake until the top of the pudding is crisp, about 10 minutes more.

Allow to stand for 15 minutes, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon each of parsley and basil, and serve.