Lime Lamb Chops, you say? As peculiar as that may sound, lime is the perfect addition to this recipe because lamb has a bold flavor that pairs best with other bold flavors. That’s why lamb is often served with mint jelly and a glass of high-octane Zinfandel. Strong flavors are best alongside other strong flavors – that way nothing gets lost in the mix.

That’s not to say that you can’t have a glass of white wine with your lamb if you desire, but it does mean that any delicate flavors in that wine will likely be made undetectable as soon as you take your first bite. Thankfully, we don’t always drink wine for its flavor alone. I like to think of wine as nature’s Xanax and lamb as nature’s vitamin pill. Eating lovingly prepared homemade food and drinking good wine can and should make you feel great!

Lime and Pepper Lamb Chops
*serves 2*

4 double-rib lamb chops
⅓ C. fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
2 medium cloves garlic
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. Aleppo pepper
a small handful of fresh rosemary leaves
3 Tbsp. olive oil
plenty of S & P

Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree until well combined, about one minute.

Place the lamb chops into a small baking dish and pour over the marinade.  Allow the lamb to sit in the marinade at room temperature for one hour, turning the chops or rack 3 or 4 times during the process so they become thoroughly coated with the marinade.By allowing them to sit out, the chops will also come closer to room temperature, which is great when you are cooking something medium rare.  You don’t want to grill meat you intend to serve on the rare side right out of the fridge or it can end up cold in the middle. Yeck.

When the hour is nearly up, preheat your grill over medium-high heat and allow to get very hot. When you’re ready to grill the lamb, allow the excess marinade to drip off and then place the chops on the grill for about 5 – 6 minutes on each side, leaving them undisturbed as they cook. The chops should be nicely grill-marked but still tender to the touch which indicates they are still rare in the middle. Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

We enjoyed these chops with baked sweet potatoes and greens sauteed in butter with currants and toasted pine nuts sprinkled in. And a glass of wine, of course. Simple and delicious!