AI-generated image
Braaied lamb chops
Lamstjops: Karoo lamb loin chops seasoned simply and grilled over wood coals
Ask a Karoo farmer for a braai rub and you will be handed the salt grinder: good lamb chops off the veld need salt, pepper and wood coals, and nothing else. On a Saturday evening in Colesberg or Cradock the chops go on last, after the boerewors, and come off with crisp, smoky fat and juicy, rosy meat. Pile them on a board with pap and tomato smoor, a potato salad and a braaibroodjie or two. Chops cut too thin, under 2 cm, dry out before the fat crisps, so ask the butcher for thick ones. Chef's tip: stand the chops upright on their fat edge for the first few minutes, held together with tongs, so the fat renders and crisps before the meat goes flat on the grid.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 lamb loin chopsabout 2.5 cm thick (about 1.2 kg)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 lemon (optional)cut into wedges, to serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Take 8 lamb loin chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before grilling. Pat dry and rub lightly with 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
Step 2: Make a wood fire and let it burn down to hot coals; you should be able to hold your hand above the grid for only 3–4 seconds.
Step 3: Season the chops on both sides with 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper and 1 tsp coarse salt.
Step 4: Hold 4 chops upright together with tongs, fat edge down on the grid, until the fat is golden and crisp. Repeat with the rest.
3 minStep 5: Lay the chops flat and grill, turning once, until both sides are well browned and a thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F for pink or 158°F for medium-well. Move them to cooler coals if the fat flares.
9 minStep 6: Sprinkle with the rest of 1 tsp coarse salt, rest on a warm board for 3 minutes and serve with 1 lemon wedges if you like.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does braaied lamb chops take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coarsely ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian