Pan Seared Lamb Chops

One of my favorite things to eat when going out is pan seared lamb chops. I don’t know why this happens to be the case, pan-seared lamb chops aren’t difficult to cook.

Lamb chops can be found in your everyday grocery store. Lamb may cost a bit more than beef, but you know it costs less than say a nice steak. Eating at home doesn’t need to mean that you sacrifice anything. I like cooking at home because I get to really choose my food, I get to know exactly what’s in it.

Pan seared lamb chops can be freshly made, with ingredients that are easy to find. I like lamb simply cooked, the meat is flavorful enough on its own not to require a sauce. Here is my simple recipe on how to pan sear lamb chops.

How to Shop for Lamb

When buying lamb, go with the freshest. If the lamb is packaged, check the date stamp. If the lamb is not wrapped in a dated package, look at the color of the meat. It should be rosy pink or red in color. Any meat that is too dark is older and will not be as tender. In addition to the color, look for meat with a fine grain and firm, white fat.

• Other packaging information – Lamb marked as USDA Prime will have the highest rating in terms of tenderness and flavor because the lamb has a slightly higher fat content. Cuts labeled USDA Choice are still high-quality, but they will be slightly less tender.
• Grass-fed lamb – If you are concerned with how your lamb was raised and want to know that it had a chance to once frolic around in a field, then look for grass-fed selections of lamb at your local farmer’s market. Grass-fed lamb will cost you more, but you get high-quality meat with great flavor.

About Lamb Chops

Lamb chops can be found in your everyday grocery store. Lamb does cost a bit more than some other meats, such as various cuts of beef, but it still costs less than a nice steak. Lamb chops can come from more than one part of the animal. The cut of the chop determines its tenderness and how best to cook it.

Loin chops – These are the most commonly purchased type of lamb chop. They are thick, compact, and meaty, and eminently suitable for quick, high-heat methods of cooking such as grilling or broiling.

Rib chops – Rib chops are recognizable by their pearly white “handles.” They have very tender, fatty meat ideally suited for grilling or broiling.

Shoulder chops – These are the least expensive lamb chops. Because they contain connective tissues, shoulder chops can be somewhat tough if not cooked properly. For this reason, they are best prepared by slow braising to transform them into a meltingly tender dish.

Eating at Home

What would you like to cook at home that you haven’t made in a while? Or, is there something you haven’t tried but have always wanted to? You don’t sacrifice anything by dining at home rather than going out to eat. In fact, eating at home has lots of advantages. You get to choose what you make for dinner, and you know exactly what’s in it.

Whether you’ve cooked lamb chops before or have been afraid to try, here’s my simple recipe on how to perfectly pan sear lamb chops to make a delicious family meal.

Love Lamb? Try these recipes

• Indian Leg of Lamb
• Lamb Stew

Best Main Dish Recipes

• How to Cook a Rib Eye Roast
• How to Cook a Beef Shank
• Oven Roast Beef
• Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken
• Recipe for Shake and Bake Pork Chops
• Tender Baked Pork Chops
• Chinese Pork Spare Ribs
• Roasted Pork Roast
• Chilis Grilled Chicken
• Aloha Shoyu Chicken
• Russian Cutlet

Be sure to check out more of my main course dishes and low carb recipes.

What should you be cooking at home that you haven’t in a while? Is there something you haven’t tried, but you have been wanting to try?