Sunday Dinner: Lamb Chops, Astoria

This post should really be called, “How to make a super simple dinner entrée that’s sure to impress,” because it looks so classy but requires a minimal effort. I’d actually never cooked lamb or veal before last night, but Mountain States Rosen (MSR) was kind enough to give us some meat to try. They’re having an awesome promotion* right now so if you haven’t tried cooking with these meats either, now is the time to try! Last night Kiyo and I made 100% vegetarian fed Cedar Springs’s fresh American lamb chops for Sunday dinner.

*see the end of the post for details

MSR is the only national U.S. producer owned and operated, vertically integrated lamb and veal company. Their meat comes from a co-op family of ranchers, whose animals never receive antibiotics or added hormones. Veal is an excellent source of lean protein (it’s lower in fat than most other meats), and a good source of niacin, zinc, and vitamins B12 and B6. Lamb, part of the Mediterranean diet which has been proven time and again to be one of the healthiest, is a good source of vitamin B12 as well as folate, biotin and choline. If you want to impress a dinner mate or guest, try one of these because you can not only tell them how healthy it is in addition to being delicious, but it’s much less common than beef, chicken and pork, and novelty is always memorable.

Lamb Chops

(I haven’t tried this with veal yet, but I assume you can use the same steps and recipe for veal chops as well)

Step 1: Cover the chops in a sauce or spice rub and let sit for between 10-30 minutes. We went the super easy route and used a “Jawaiian Style” mix, which has Kosher salt, onion, sugar, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon and wasabi. Seasonings that enhance veal’s natural flavors and juices include white wine, sherry, onion, celery, parsley, butter, marjoram, rosemary, sage, oregano, black pepper, cinnamon, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, bay leaf and thyme.

Step 2: Heat your grill; we used the stove top grill I got Kiyo for his birthday last year. Sear the chops for a few minutes on each side.

Step 3: Put the chops into the oven (at about 400 degrees) for 5-10 minutes, until they reached desired done-ness.

How easy was that, seriously? And now for the side dish we made, which also looks pretty fancy if I do say so myself:

Cheesy Spinach Grits

Step 1: Combine .75 cup grits and 3 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat.

Step 2: When the grits are almost ready (this will only take a few minutes, so don’t stray too far from the stove), add in .75 cup frozen chopped spinach, 1 oz. of cheese and 1 tbsp. butter. You may or may not want to add salt or garlic salt, depending on how salty the cheese you use is. Stir all together and serve immediately.

Choosing a fancy cheese adds to the class of the dish; we used soft honey lavender cheese and it just sounds more sophisticated than if we’d used plain cheddar, for instance. You could also mix it up by adding different combinations of spices; such as onion powder and paprika, for example. Just be sure not to clash with whatever seasoning you use on the chops.

I should also mention that this dish doesn’t require a lot of shopping or even a lot of money; grits are extremely inexpensive, as are butter and frozen vegetables. The chops are roughly $7 for two.

Mountain States Rosen is giving away a travel grill…perfect for picnics, camping, tailgating, or romantic getaways. The contest closes this Friday, August 9, so be sure to enter (here) ASAP!