Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

by Stephanie

This, my friends, was my first time ever making lamb. And it was amazing! The herbs gave the lamb a great flavor without overpowering the taste of the meat, and the sauce was the perfect addition. It’s a great celebratory meal, but easy to prepare on a weeknight. So in honor of our mom’s birthday (happy birthday mommy!) I am sharing this lovely lamb recipe.

I admit that I was scared that I would ruin the meat and we would have to either starve or get takeout after almost burning down the apartment, but I didn’t! The smoke alarm didn’t even go off, thanks to three fans and an open window. Now I’m pretty sure I can “grill” in my apartment!

I even learned a valuable lesson: don’t be scared to try new things, even if you’ve never made them before, they may come out better than you ever expected!

When you think you’ve finished eating, dip some bread in the leftover lamb juices and balsamic sauce. Even that is amazing. I surprised myself (and David) with this dinner; I didn’t know making delicious lamb chops was so easy!

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction, adapted from allrecipes:

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 lamb chops
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance

Directions:

  1. Mix the salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub the mixture onto both sides of the lamb chops and set aside for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I used my Le Creuset) over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in skillet and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm on a serving platter.
  3. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook for about three minutes, until they begin to brown. Stir in vinegar and stock, scraping the bottom of the pan.
  4. Continue cooking on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the Earth Balance.
  5. Pour sauce over lamb chops and serve. Yum!