Grilled Lamb Chops in Mint Salsa Verde

Submitted by Chef #928625

"A Saveur recipe.Wow!.I had this as the main dish at my 21st birthday.Everyone loved this,even the people that weren't big on lamb!The way the briney-ness of the anchovies and capers combined with the refreshing herbs was delicious-and helped cut some of the smoky richness.Think Mediterranean salsa verde,not Mexican.Don't be afraid to splurge on a nice olive oil for this if you can afford to:it's definitely worth it and the flavor will shine through in every bite.You could substitute dried tarragon in a pinch,but you should definitely not use dried parsley or mint because it makes up so much of the salsa's body.If you double the recipe only make the one recipe's worth of sauce as this really makes more than you need.You won't mind the leftovers though;the flavors continue to meld and improve as the sauce sits overnight.It's still good a couple of days later if you refrigerate it . I haven't given detailed instructions for how to start a fire/when it's ready;I think most people already how,but in case you don't ,there are plenty of other sources that can instruct you on the best way to do it better than I can,so please don't make this and tell me it turned out badly because I didn't spell it out step by step;take responsibility for your own grilling!:) From Saveur Issue 123,October 2009."

 

• Ready In: 48mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 4 chops
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 1 lb lamb loin chop (4 chops ,about 1 inch thick each)
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus
• 3⁄4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
• 1⁄2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
• 2 cups of fresh mint, loosely packed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 6 oil packed anchovy fillets, drained
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

directions

1. Rub the lamb chops with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper;set aside.
2. Wash and finely chop all of the fresh herbs,mix together in a bowl.Finely chop all remaining ingredients-the anchovies,capers,and garlic,and add to the herbs.Drizzle in the olive oil and stir well ;set aside.
3. Build a fire in a charcoal grill (of course you can use a gas or electric grill if you want to,but I promise you'll be missing out on a lot of flavor;the recipe says to set a gas grill to medium -hot)When the grill is ready add the lamb chops and turn when one side is browned.and continue cooking to your liking.6-8 minutes for medium-rare.10-12 minutes will give you medium well to well done.
4. Drizzle with some of the sauce,serving the rest on the side.