Best Lamb Chop Recipes

One of the best things about cooking with lamb is that it is capable of taking on and complementing a variety of flavors. The chutney that tops this grilled lamb pairs with the meat perfectly, while the whole milk yogurt marinade adds a delectable texture to the entrée. 

Created by Cooking Planit's culinary director chef Emily Wilson, this recipe reinvents the lamb chop. A blend of fresh oregano and salty pistachio nuts proves to be the perfect crust to a tender lamb chop in this recipe. There's no flour and eggs in this recipe, though, because it uses creamy and decadent goat cheese to get the breading to stick. 

One night in 2006, as the executive chef of Marigold Kitchen, I was preparing a dinner at the James Beard House in New York. By the time we finished up, our crew was hungry and exhausted. We rolled into Momofuku Ssäm Bar around midnight, and several minutes later were presented with an entire slow-cooked pork shoulder, crackling on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. With the familiarity of a kitchen team that had just worked a 14-hour shift, we devoured the whole thing.The Zahav Lamb Shoulder was born that night on the drive home. It was also possibly responsible for keeping me from falling asleep at the wheel. Next to our hummus, this is the dish that put Zahav on the map. We brine a whole lamb shoulder and smoke it over hardwood for a couple of hours. Then we braise it in pomegranate molasses until the meat is tender enough to eat with a spoon. Finally, the lamb shoulder is finished in a hot oven to crisp up the exterior. This dish is the best of all possible worlds — smoky and crispy, soft and tender, sweet and savory — and it’s a celebration all by itself. The use of pomegranate in this dish (and the crispy rice we serve with it) is very Persian, which is a cuisine with tradition so rich it always makes me think of palaces and royal banquets. The chickpeas recall the humble chamin, a traditional Sabbath stew that’s slow-baked overnight.Chickpeas, the underrated star of this dish, recall the humble chamin, a traditional Sabbath stew that’s slow-baked overnight. During the long braise, the lamb bones create a natural stock that is absorbed by the chickpeas, creating the richest, creamiest peas you’ve ever tasted. I’ve even made hummus with these chickpeas — totally decadent!Preparing the lamb shoulder is a two- or three-day process and thus requires some advance planning. We go through about sixty shoulders a week at the restaurant, and it’s still not enough. If you’ve ever been disappointed at Zahav, chances are it’s because we didn’t have a lamb shoulder for you. Now, you can make it for yourself.We smoke our lamb shoulders at Percy Street Barbecue. If you have a smoker, feel free to smoke the lamb. Or just roast the shoulder as the recipe indicates.From Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, ©2015 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

From Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking. Copyright ©2015 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

There's nothing quite like a perfectly seared piece of meat. Here, lamb shoulder chops are pan-seared until golden brown on both sides and topped with a sweet-spicy salsa whose main star is a summertime favorite: apricot. See all salsa recipes. Click here to see Apricots and Cherries and Peaches and Pluots, Oh My!