Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Mint and Red Wine Pan Sauce
Loin chops seared hard for a crust in under ten minutes, then a red wine reduction finished with fresh mint in the same pan.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
-
Pat the chops dry, season heavily with salt and pepper on both sides, and let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
-
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers.
-
Lay in the chops and leave them alone until a deep brown crust forms on the first side, about 3 minutes.
-
Flip, add the butter, garlic, and rosemary, and tilt the pan to spoon the foaming butter over the chops until the second side is browned and the centers read 130°F.
-
Transfer the chops to a plate to rest.
-
Lower the heat to medium, add the shallot to the same pan, and cook until softened and translucent.
-
Pour in the red wine, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until reduced by half.
-
Add the stock and vinegar and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
-
Off the heat, stir in the mint, then spoon the sauce over the rested chops.
Notes
Loin chops are thin enough that the whole dish lives or dies in that first three-minute sear — get the pan properly hot before they go in, and don’t nudge them until the crust releases on its own. Pull them at 130°F for a rosy medium-rare; lamb this lean turns gray and tight past that.
Rib chops work the same way if that’s what the butcher has, just crowd them less since they’re narrower. Serve over the potato gratin or with something plain enough to soak up the pan sauce.