A good chop loving….by Yudhika Sujanani

I am a ‘Lamb Chop’ sort of girl and feeling a little curried out!  I have just prepared this for lunch and they are delicious!  They are marinated twice…and that Serve with a side salad and some crispy bread, it is an absolute winner!

Skinny chops are just not fun…they should be thick cut and chunky with a good piece of creamy fat attached….it is the fat that keeps the chops tender!  Ask your butcher to get some done for you….I know that our fabulous Broadacres Spar always does the loin chops beautifully….think Moto Moto….I do like them big and chunky!

You can roast these chops in an oven or cook them over hot coals….the oven for me is a better option!  There is lots of ginger in this recipe….I know, it reads 45ml ginger…that’s 3 tablespoons!  Ginger is added to marinades to tenderize the meat…but it also adds flavour too!  I make up a special spice blend called Magic Masala for my Curry Me Home spice range – it is a mix of my favourite flavours….chilli flakes, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon!  The Magic Masala is available at Holi Cow and select Spars around Gauteng.

For the banting bunnies….Make this a banting friendly recipe by adding coconut oil instead of sunflower oil!  I think this recipe would make Tim Noakes a happy professor!

Marinated Lamb Chops….

Ingredients

12 lamb loin chops
45ml ginger paste
15ml garlic paste
2ml black pepper
Salt to season

Marinade:
50ml fresh cream
15ml ground cumin
15ml red chilli powder
10ml garam masala
5ml ground coriander

15ml Magic Masala

50ml lemon juice

Sunflower oil, to baste
Lemon wedges, to serve

Here’s how:
Trim the lamb chops and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add the ginger, garlic, black pepper and season with salt.
Refrigerate the lamb chops for an hour.
Add the marinade ingredients to the lamb chops and mix well.
Place the chops in a Zip seal bag and refrigerate for four hours or preferably overnight.
Cook the lamb chops over hot coals or cook in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius for 10 – 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat – Place a wire rack on a baking tray, then place the chops on top.  This prevents the chops from ‘stewing’ in the marinade.

Baste with sunflower oil every 5 minutes.

Yudhika’s tips:
The ginger and garlic paste must be smooth.  Liquidise the paste if necessary.
Yoghurt can be used instead of fresh cream.