Arrange chiles and garlic in a small pile on a cutting board; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt.
Using flat side of a large knife, drag knife back and forth over garlic mixture to form a paste, about 90 seconds.
Transfer paste to a small bowl, and stir in parsley, cilantro, mint, vinegar, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of the oil.
Rub 2 tablespoons of the cilantro mixture all over lamb chops, and season with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add lamb chops to hot braai.
Cook, undisturbed, until browned and a thermometer registers 65C (for medium-rare), about 4 minutes per side.
Using tongs, turn lamb chops on their edges, leaning lamb chops against sides of skillet to keep them stable, if needed, and cook, turning until all edges are browned and fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes.
Cut each lamb chop in half between ribs, and transfer, cut side up, to a serving platter. Spoon remaining cilantro mixture over lamb chops, and serve.
In a bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar with the lemon juice, rosemary and garlic. Pour the marinade into two large, resealable plastic bags.
Add the ribs, seal the bags and turn to coat the ribs. Let the ribs marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, turning the bags halfway through.
meanwhile, make the chimichurri
In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped.
Add the olive oil and vinegar and pulse to combine. Season the chimichurri with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.
Light a braai. Remove the ribs from the marinade. Scrape off the garlic and rosemary and pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
Brush the ribs with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the ribs over moderately high heat, turning, until nicely charred outside and medium-rare, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with the chimichurri.
16 French trimmed lamb rib chops (about 85 g/3 oz each)
vegetable oil, for grilling
roasted sesame seeds, to serve
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the sake, chilli paste, soya bean paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli flakes and honey until smooth.
Add the lamb chops and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge, tossing once or twice, for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Before grilling, let the lamb chops come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot. Lightly brush the grates with vegetable oil. Cut a long strip of foil twice the length of the lamb chop bones, fold it in half and lay it on the grill.
Arrange the chops on the grill without crowding and with the bones over the foil so they don’t burn.
Grill, covered, for about 7 minutes total for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking, flipping the chops halfway through. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and leave to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Lamb chops – This recipe is for 6 lamb chops, but you will need approximately 2 chops per person.
Greek yogurt – Plain and organic is the way to go.
Garam masala – You can usually find this in the spice aisle in your grocery store.
Turmeric – This spice goes particularly well with lamb. It has a yellow coloring and earthy flavor.
Garlic – You can mince them yourself or buy them pre-minced.
Ginger – You can find fresh ginger in your produce aisle.
Lemon juice – You can use fresh or bottled juice.
Paprika – If you want spicier chops, try using a hot paprika. You can find it in your spice aisle.
Cayenne Pepper – For that added heat.
Salt – To taste.
Directions
LAMB CHOP MARINADE This simple curry marinade helps to tenderize your lamb chops as well as adding lots of flavor.
Combine marinade ingredients. Combine Greek yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a bowl and stir until fully mixed together.
Marinade chops. Pour your marinade into a gallon freezer bag and add the lamb chops. Seal bag and move chops around inside until they are well coated with marinade.
Let chops soak . Place the bag in your refrigerator and let sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer you marinade your chops, the more flavor they will have.
HOW TO COOK LAMB CHOPS ON THE GRILL
Preheat. Heat your grill to 200 C.
Prep chops. Take your marinade bag out of the fridge. Remove the chops from marinade and scrape off excess.
Braai the chops. Place your chops on grill and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. Again, this time is for rib chops. If you are using a different cut of chop, your cooking time may vary.
In a large mixing bowl combine the herbs, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Add the lamb chops and mix well to coat the meat evenly.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the lamb chops. For best results, allow the lamb to marinate for at least 5 to 6 hours, or as long as overnight.
Remove the lamb chops from the fridge and allow the meat to come to room temperature while you heat your grill. Lightly oil the grill rack or a grilling basket to prevent the meat from sticking
When the coals are hot, arrange the meat on the rack or in the grilling basket without crowding. Plan to cook the lamb chops in batches if necessary.
Cook the lamb chops for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cuts of meat. Be careful of flames from fat drippings, which can scorch the meat.
Serve immediately, or hold the lamb chops warm for a short while by wrapping in aluminum foil and leaving to the side of the grill away from direct heat.
Combine the garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon zest and olive oil in a measuring cup.
Pour the marinade over the lamb chops, making sure to flip them over to cover them completely. Cover and marinate the chops in the fridge for as little as 1 hour, or as long as overnight.
Grill the lamb chops on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 80C.
Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl with the paprika, cayenne pepper and 1 tbs salt. Stir to combine.
Separate the lamb ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Brush all over with the oil. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over both sides of the lamb.
Place lamb on a large heavy rimmed baking tray. Cover tray tightly with foil. Place on braai and cover for 2 hours or until the lamb is tender.
Meanwhile, to make the yoghurt sauce, in a small bowl whisk the yoghurt, oil, chilli, parsley, tarragon and rosemary with ½ tsp lemon rind and 1 tbs lemon juice until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare a braai for medium-high heat. Remove lamb from pan, discarding excess fat and pan juices. Barbecue the lamb for 2 mins each side or until caramelised. Transfer to a large serving platter and serve with the yoghurt sauce.
Place the lamb racks on a large tray or dish, and season well with salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle well with olive oil to coat, also on both sides.
Roughly chop 6 sprigs of Rosemary, setting the other two aside. Sprinkle the rosemary and garlic all over the racks, then cover them and place in the fridge overnight.
Prepare a braai for two-zone cooking (see link above for instructions). Take racks out of fridge, and brush off the majority of the chopped rosemary and garlic.
Place the lamb racks on the indirect side, and braai for 20 minutes, then flip and braai the other side for 20 minutes, have the lid closed for both cooks.
Stoke the coals then throw the remaining rosemary sprigs directly on them, they will create 2-3 minutes of great rosemary-scented smoke (if you’re using gas, omit the burning rosemary and just turn the gas to highest setting). Immediately place the ribs over the direct heat, and sear for 4-6 minutes per side, until a nice char has developed.
Remove the racks from the braai, and place under foil to rest for 10 minutes. Then slice, serve and eat immediately.
