Become a Better Home Cook! This Just Maika Cooking: Cook’s Notebook section will focus on everything related to prepping lamb connected to all my recipe posts, which are updated frequently.
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Preparing Lamb Chops
Are you intimidated to Prepare them?
Have you ever wanted to impress your guests with a beautifully prepared lamb dish? Lamb chops are a favorite for being so juicy and tender. They are also quick to cook anywhere. But how lamb can sometimes be packaged at the store can intimidate the novice cook.
Thus, instead of buying the lamb rack, you might pay more for the lamb chops. But you don't have to do this anymore. I will teach you how to prepare it at home. Below, you will find a step-by-step tutorial on how to get lamb chops from a lamb rack.
What are Lamb Chops?
The lamb chops prepared here comes from the rib section of the lamb. In addition, this lamb weighs about a pound (16 ounces) because it's a New Zealand lamb. Lambs from the US and Australia tend to be much larger, weighing closer to two pounds, so be aware of where lamb comes from and prepare for portion control. Thus, you'll serve about 5 ounces per person.
You'll probably also find other chops at your store, from loin chops to shoulder chops. However, these are different cuts of the lamb. For instance, loin chops look more like miniature T-bone steaks, whereas shoulder chops are bigger and look closer to a pork blade chop.
They are also more oval in shape, with more white, thick white connective tissue, and fat running through the meat. I've also used the shoulder chop before for a braising curry, lemon, and yogurt recipe in a deep baking dish to allow it to cook in its own juices and marinade, covered. It was perfect!
How to French Them?
First, sharpen a knife to get started. However, you prefer a whetstone, knife sharpener, and then use a sharpening/honing steel. Using a sharp knife, you will want to scrape the membrane from the bones. When you scrape, hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to prevent dulling your knife. I usually use a boning knife when butchering meat. The blade is narrow enough to make more precision cuts.
Check out other Kitchen Tools Must-Haves.
Inspect Your Rack
Next, you might have to inspect your lamb rack for excess fat and membrane on the back and front of the lamb. You want just a thin layer of fat. And you can use the tip of the knife to peel off the membrane on the back part of the rack.
The membrane is a transparent thin film that usually covers the bone. If you have to trim any excess fat, trim little by little; you don't want too much red flesh to be exposed. Besides this, when it comes to freshness, make sure the meat is not slimy or discolored, being a light brown color.
Where to Cut?
Use your finger to find the middle between the two bones and follow it all the way down to where they join at the bottom; this is where you will cut through.
Cutting into Chops
You will use your knife to start at the top by cutting right into the center of the two bones and using your knife the way you did with your finger to cut right down through where the two bones connect. It may take practice to get it right, but it is quite simple. There is no need to break any bone joints or chop through a bone.
Two Types of Chops!
Now you have two options! Usually, on a 1-pound lamb rack, you can serve up to 4 chops per person. You can cut the chops into individual bone slices or with two intact ones. Just be aware if you decide to make chops with two bones intact, the time to cook will be longer, but the meat will be juicier. Divide the rack into chops on every second bone to get the two-bone lamb chop.
Uniform Portions
Be aware depending on where you divide the lamb chops; the end piece may have an extra bone; you can keep it or remove it to keep the portions uniform with a better cooking time.
In addition, the top lamb chop looks pretty skimpy, and that is because too much of the fat was cut away. Prevent cutting off too much fat because it keeps the lamb chop's shape intact.
Spice Blend for the Curried Lamb Recipe
Seasoning Lamb Chops
From just simple salt and pepper to curry. Lamb is great with any seasoning, dry, wet, or vinaigrette marinades. Because the meat is so tender, it does not need a long time to marinate.
Lamb Chops are not usually braised but are cooked quickly in the air fryer, seared in a pan, or quickly grilled. However, if it were still intact as a rack of lamb, then you would roast or grill it. To do so, I recommend scoring the fat part of the meat with a criss-cross pattern and ensuring you have rubbed the marinade into the incisions.
Image of the Curried Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Chickpea Cucumber Salad recipe.
Best Air Fryer Lamb Chop Recipe
Stop searching for other curried lamb chop recipes; this will be your favorite. Try my favorite Curried Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Chickpea Cucumber Salad and Avocado Cream Sauce. The curry blend creates an aromatic spiced lamb cooked to perfection in the air fryer in just minutes and served with a creamy avocado sauce with a citrusy, refreshing chickpea salad —making it the best accompaniment for lamb chops.
Additionally, this will go perfectly with a side of my Easy Spiced Brown Rice with Quinoa. This is a perfect combo to create air fryer lamb chops with Mediterranean spices with a twist that everyone will love!
Delicious Idea! Swap the chicken in the Spicy Chicken Burger with lamb.
Overview Video: Curried Air Fryer Lamb
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Let it Rest!
When you cook lamb, you will notice that some of the content inside seeps out. That's because animal protein is made up of much water, just like us. When the protein is heated, it changes state and becomes firmer, releasing water and small amounts of other contents.
This is why it is essential that you never cut meat right after cooking it. Have you ever sliced lamb chops immediately after cooking it and noticed liquid all over your cutting board? That is liquid gold!
This liquid is what provides moisture and taste to the lamb. Allowing the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes will allow the liquid to be reabsorbed by the protein. Giving you meat that is moist and not dry and chalky. This is why it is also important to lock in those juices by browning the outside of the meat.
Not only does it give a delicious caramelized texture, but it ensures your meat won't be dry. Why do you think people love fried food? If you notice, fried meats are quickly browned on the outside to lock in the protein's moisture during cooking, giving you juicy meat like these juicy and simple air-fryer lamb chops.
Cook's Notebook: Become a Better Homecook!
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- How to Prevent Cross-Contamination in Your Kitchen
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Let's Eat!
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