Skillet-Seared, Coffee-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Honey-Butter

Adding ground coffee to a spice rub deepens the flavor of the rub, giving it a rich, “roasted” taste to complement the chile powder and smoky paprika. Brown sugar softens the savory flavor with a hint of sweetness to round out this fragrant dry marinade for tender, seared lamb chops.

A cast-iron skillet is the go-to vehicle for searing the chops. The heavy skillet, combined with the dark rub, results in a rich, blackened look and flavor for the lamb. Nothing wrong with that.

I finished the chops with a simple mixture of creamy butter and honey to balance the savoriness of the lamb and spices. Let the butter soften at room temperature for about an hour and it will be ready to blend easily with the honey.

If you like grilled lamb chops, check out Grilled Lamb Chops with Grilled-Garlic-Oil and Corn on the Cob.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tsp finely ground coffee (preferably dark roast)
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• sea salt
• 2 8-oz lamb shoulder blade chops, about 1-inch thick
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp honey
• olive oil, for brushing

Coffee Rub Mixture

Lamb Shoulder Blade Chops

Preparation

1. Combine the coffee, chile powder, brown sugar, and smoked paprika in a small bowl and season with salt. Rub the coffee mixture all over the lamb chops and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Spice-Rubbed Lamb

1. Meanwhile, stir together the softened butter and honey in a small bowl, combining well. 

Butter and Honey Ready to Mash 

Mashed Butter and Honey

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Sear the lamb chops until medium-rare, about 6 minutes per side (or until desired degree of doneness).

Lamb Beginning to Sear 

Lamb after Turning

Skillet-Seared Lamb Chops

Let the chops rest 3 minutes, then dollop with honey-butter and serve.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Grilled-Garlic Oil and Corn on the Cob

This dinner is all about grilling—meat, vegetable, and garlic to give the drizzle for the lamb a little extra rich, garlicky flavor. The preparation is very simple: grill the garlic, cool, peel and chop, combine with extra virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. Easy and simply delicious.

Grilled-Garlic-Oil Ingredients

There are a variety of ways to grill corn. Husks on; husks pulled down, corn buttered, husks pulled back up; bare corn, buttered later; and husked corn buttered and wrapped in foil, as in this recipe. I like sealing the butter in and letting it grill along with the corn. The ears may not get that charred, smoky flavor as corn grilled in the husk, but the flavor is still sweet and fresh.

A word about the lamb: If you have a butcher shop where you can buy chops cut to order, go for those. The tender, succulent meat should be cooked to rare or medium-rare doneness, so purchasing the freshest you can find is important. If you like your red meat well done, you may want to skip lamb altogether.

Lamb Loin Chops

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large ears of sweet corn, husks and silk removed
• unsalted butter, to taste
• sea salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• olive oil, for marinating
• 4 lamb loin chops, 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat, with two areas for grilling (if using coal, make two stacks).
2. Lay each ear of corn on a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap around it about 2 times. Spread all sides lightly with butter and season with salt. Roll up the foil and twist the ends shut. (If not using right away, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before grilling.)

Buttered, Salted Corn Ready to Wrap

Foil-Wrapped Corn Ready to Grill

1. Rub the garlic cloves with oil and thread onto a small skewer (soaked in water 30 minutes, if wood).

Skewered Garlic Ready to Grill

1. Place the ears of corn and garlic on the grill. Grill the garlic 2-3 minutes, turn, and grill 2-3 minutes longer, until slightly softened and charred. Remove and let cool.

Corn and Garlic on the Grill

Grilled Garlic

1. Grill the corn, turning every 3-4 minutes, for a total of 12-14 minutes. Remove and leave wrapped until ready to serve.
2. Rub the lamb chops lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until slightly charred on the outside and rare to medium-rare on the inside. Remove and let rest 3 minutes.

Seasoned Lamb Ready to Grill

Grilled Lamb

1. While the lamb rests, peel and chop the grilled garlic. Combine the garlic, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Grilled-Garlic-Oil

To serve, place 2 lamb chops on each of 2 plates and drizzle with the garlic oil. Unwrap the corn and serve alongside.