Moroccan Grilled Lamb Chops
"Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook"
"This is a simple summer dish to make on the grill. I cut lamb racks into individual chops, marinate them in yogurt, lemon, garlic, mint, and spices, then throw them on the grill for seven to nine minutes."—JBF Award winner Ina Garten
Ingredients
- 6 large garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup julienned fresh mint leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- Kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for the grill
- 3 racks of lamb (6 to 7 ribs each), cut into chops
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Couscous with pine nuts and mint, for serving
Method
Place the garlic, mint, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, and 2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely ground. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine.
Place the chops in one or two non-metal dishes large enough to hold them in one layer. Spread the garlic and herb mixture evenly on both sides. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, Sriracha, and lemon juice, and spread it evenly on the lamb chops. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate for 6 to 24 hours.
Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals and oil the cooking grate. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and grill 5 to 6 inches above the coals, first with the yogurt side up (marinade and all) for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until medium rare. Transfer to a clean plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the couscous.
Reprinted from Cooking for Jeffrey. Copyright © 2016 by Ina Garten. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Yield
6 servings
