Lamb Chops

When I’m in a meat-eating frame of mind and cooking solo, I turn to lamb chops because they’re delicious, easy to prepare, and, because of their size, ideal for a dinner for one. If you’re feeling only a little peckish you can cook just a couple, or if you’re famished, you can have four or five chops (I always ask the butcher to chop them individually so they’re about an inch thick). All you have to do is sprinkle them with salt and pepper and pop them into a hot skillet to cook and you’re on your way to a filling meal. Cooking for yourself is an act of self-care, so buy the highest quality ingredients you can afford. For me, that means patronizing a grocery store that carries grass-fed meat, where a butcher can verify that the animal was not raised on an all-grain diet and stuffed with antibiotics. To round out this springtime dish, I add some more spring produce—seared endives and asparagus—which I garnish with fresh mint (a nod to my parents, who would always add mint jelly when lamb was served). I drizzle the vegetables with a tangy tahini dressing, loaded with lemon juice, which adds a bright, acidic finish. The entire meal is quick to prepare, because you’re only briefly searing the vegetables, browning the endives but not cooking them all the way through, which leaves a nice texture, as well as bitterness and crunch, that’s delightful alongside the lamb. The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes—making it an easy way to do something nice for yourself, even on a weeknight.

“The spicy cumin salt in this recipe is reason enough to go out in search of the finest lamb chops you can find, but it’s truly good on chicken, pork, and beef as well (and potatoes, strangely enough). When buying your chops, you’ll likely have a choice between New Zealand chops (which tend to be more petite) and American (probably from Colorado; these are a bit heftier). Both are equally delicious, and you can’t go wrong; just make sure, whichever ones you get, they are un-frenched, meaning they still have all the meat and fat on the bone. Choose these not only because they look better but also so you can gnaw on the bones.” Reprinted from Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes. Copyright © 2017 by Alison Roman. Photographs by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Slideshow: More Fast Lamb Chop Recipes

A hardwood charcoal fire imparts excellent smoky flavor to grilled lamb chops and bell peppers. Slideshow: More Lamb Chop Recipes

To make bright and tangy salsa verde even more delicious, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple adds a slice of burned bread to it, which deepens and intensifies the flavors. Slideshow: More Lamb Chop Recipes

Lamb blade chops are our new favorite cut: They cook quickly and are inexpensive and very flavorful. Instead of marinating his lamb, Ava Gene’s chef Joshua McFadden tops them with an herby coriander dressing after they come off the grill, for a brighter flavor. Slideshow: More Lamb Chop Recipes

Chef Ludovic Lefebvre puts together a colorful dish featuring grilled lamb chops surrounded by a variety of spring carrots, turnips, radishes, shelled peas, onions and lettuce leaves. A simple butter "sauce" acts as a liaison for the vegetable and ties this meal together. For more details on how to make this recipe, see Ludo's step-by-step video here.