Grilled lamb chops

Lamb is a wonderful alternative to veal or beef. Some people say that the smell of lamb is too penetrating, then these people have probably never experienced the proper preparation.

As with most meat dishes that are prepared on the grill, there are three essential factors: The meat, the marinade and time.

The meat

My mantra: buy good meat

I can only repeat: pay attention to the quality of the meat. Bad meat cannot achieve good results even with excellent treatment. This is the case with all meat, including lamb. The demand for local products is often difficult to meet for lamb, unless you live in New Zealand or Australia. If you can't buy chops at the butcher, buy the whole rack of lamb and cut the chops yourself.

The marinade

Thyme and honey

Two things should not be missing in a marinade for grilled lamb: thyme and honey. The other ingredients of a good marinade can often be combined freely, although I usually return to the same marinade.

Time

Time is the most important factor besides meat. The marinade needs time to take effect. And what is often forgotten; the meat must (!) also rest after grilling. Only then the meat becomes incomparably juicy and tender.

Ingredients

1 kg lamb chops (amount depends on the thickness of the chops)

the marinade

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of honey

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 teaspoons of sweet paprika

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2 tablespoons of soy sauce (for the glutenfree option: tamari sauce)

1 dl of olive oil

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade together to make a creamy paste.

Mix the meat and the marinade in a large bowl and leave the marinade to soak in for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).

Heat up the grill (or grill pan). Make sure that the grill grid or grill pan is really hot.

Grill the meat on one side for about 3 minutes (depending on thickness). If the grill has a lid, close the lid during grilling. Turn the meat over and grill it for another 2-3 minutes or press the meat lightly with your finger and if it still feels soft, take it off the grill.

Put the meat in a Pyrex dish and cover the meat completely with aluminium foil. Leave the meat to stand for at least 10 minutes before you serve it.