Lamb

Grilled Chimichurri Lamb Chops with Griddled (Spanish’ish) Rice & Veggies.

This meal is perfect for outdoor get-togethers. All the prep is done ahead of time, so you are not hidden away in the kitchen. Then you spend 15 minutes at the grill while still interacting with your guests.

Start with cooking the onions for the rice, then after you add the other vegetables, throw on the lamb. While the lamb rests, finish up the rice and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 12-16 lamb chops (from the rack) frenched and trimmed of all but thin layer of fat
• 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups Chimichurri (recipe here) – divided
• Flavoured rice (recipe here)
• 2 lemons cut into halves
• Maldon salt (or kosher salt)
• Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Preparation

Place chops in a resealable bag and pour about half of the chimichurri into the bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag then massage & move the chops until evenly coated. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight. 

Reserve the other half of chimichurri in a well sealed jar to served with finished meal.

Remove the lamb from the fridge 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Preheat your grill on high heat for direct heat grilling.

With the grill lid open, sear the chops on both sides, about a total of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter, tent with foil and let rest for 3 or 4 minutes. 

Place the lemons, cut side down, on the grill for about 1 minute, turn 90°, and grill for about a minute more. Remove lemons to platter with lamb.

Place the grilled chimichurri lamb chops on the rice and garnish with chopped cilantro (or parsley) and pomegranate arils. Serve with grilled lemon halves, Maldon salt and reserved chimichurri.

Note: the sear zone on my grill gets extremely hot, so after preheating the grates, I turn this grill down to medium. Most grills I would leave on high. The goal is to get some nice crispy charred bits on the lamb, so some of the chops may get removed at 3 1/2 minutes, while others get left for 4 1/2 minutes.

Chimichurri

Ingredients

• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds optional)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine jalapeño, shallot, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
Then stir in cilantro, parsley, and olive oil.

Griddled (Spanish’ish) Rice and Veggies

Ingredients

• 2 cups (Spanish’ish) Rice, precooked and cooled in the fridge for at least 1 hour (Either packaged Spanish flavoured rice, or recipe here)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium size red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange (or yellow) bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium size cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 bunch of broccolini (or 1/2 a broccoli), cut into small florets
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt & pepper

Preparation

Preheat the griddle over medium heat. Add the olive oil, turn the heat down to low, add the onions, season with a sprinkle of salt and cook slowly for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the rest of the vegetables, season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to warm through. Increase heat to high, add in the butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice and stir until combined. Cook for 4-5 minutes to fry the rice, stirring occasionally. Let the rice rest for a bit between stirs so that it can crisp up a little on the bottom. Once rice is heated through, pile on platter and serve).

Note: Use cold rice. Make it the night before or after cooking up a fresh batch of rice, spread it out on a baking sheet or another large flat pan, then pop it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Flavourful (Spanish’ish) Rice

This flavorful rice recipe goes with almost any dinner! Or use it as a topping for tacos or burritos or in a taco bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups white rice
• 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
• 2 cups chicken broth – no salt or reduced sodium (see Note below)
• 2 cups tomato passata (see Note below)

Preparation

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt together olive oil and butter.

Add rice and stir to coat with oil/butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 to 3 minutes, until rice is toasted. Add the spices and stir to coat rice.

Stir in chicken broth and tomato passata. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally (scrape the bottom to ensure rice is not sticking). Stir well, reduce heat to low, place lid on pot, and cook at a gentle simmer for time indicated on your specific rice (10-20 minutes) If rice is not quite tender or liquid is not absorbed after suggested cooking time, replace lid, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat, leave covered, and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Note: The amounts of liquid and the cooking time for this recipe should be considered guidelines. Follow the directions on your bag of rice to determine how much liquid to a use (per 1 cup of rice) and how long to cook when you make your Flavoured Rice.

The combined total of broth & passata should equal the amount indicated on the package.)

Hope you enjoy my Grilled Chimichurri Lamb Chops with Griddled (Spanish’ish) Rice & Veggies recipe! We would love to hear from you, please leave us your feedback in the comment box below.

Have a delicious day! James (aka Zimmy) & Elaine

This meal was grilled on my Hestan Outdoor 36″ Grill on Tower Cart in Pacific Fog.

Proud Hestan Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.