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Oh my Lord I think Spring is here-finally! The weather is warming up and the sun is shining and my kids want OUT of school! We are to the point that we are marking off the days until summer and we are between 27 and 31 days depending on which of the three schools my kids are in.  And I can tell you the boy with 31 days and finals is not happy.  Since there are so few days left of school that means we don’t have that many days left of family dinners. And that makes me so sad.  I truly love and look forward to family dinners during the school year.  The summers just get crazy and everyone is going in a million directions and it is really hard to make a teenager sit down and eat with the family when Whataburger is calling. So I am cherishing every dinner we have left and making really good food to entice them such as Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops with Garlic Mushroom Sauce.

This lamb recipe is delicious!!!  I know it sounds very restauranty and fancy but its super easy to make. Ok, now I know some you are saying, yeah right easy for you.  But I promise anyone can do this.  Here are a few tricks- First, take your meat out about 1 hour before you are ready to cook so it comes to room temperature and will cook evenly. Second, get all your ingredients and utensils out on the cutting board or counter. For example for this recipe you will need 1/2 a lemon so you are going to need a knife to cut it in half and you are going to need strong hands or a hand held juicer so get out the lemon, knife and juicer so its ready to go when the recipe calls for it.  And most importantly pour yourself a glass of wine and take a breath. This is not supposed to be difficult.

Another trick I would tell you is to invest in a cast iron skillet. They are not expensive and will last a lifetime. You can cook ANYTHING in it! It holds heat, goes from stove to oven and is a breeze to clean. Go out and buy one right now!  I know World Market carries them as well as Target, Williams-Sonoma or even Cabellas (campers use them all the time because they are so durable and you can also use it as a weapon to fend off a bear).

Oh one more quick note-if you can’t find lamb loin chops (I found them at Costco) then buy lamb chops and adjust the cook time since they will be thinner.

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Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops with Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 8 1/2" thick lamb loin chops (about 2 lbs)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 Pint cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
  • 3 Tablespoons butter-divided
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°

  2. Season the lamb chops generously with salt, pepper and thyme. 

  3. In a large cast iron skillet or a straight sided skillet than can transfer to the oven, heat olive oil over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, not smoking, add the chops. Cook for 2 minutes per side, including the edges. 

  4. Once all the sides have been seared and are a gorgeous caramel color turn the heat off.  Add the mushrooms, garlic cloves and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Place skillet into preheated oven for 5 minutes for medium rare. 

  5. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on the stove (be very careful it is very hot and your first instinct is to grab the handle when a skillet is on the stove-cover the handle with an oven mit).  

  6. Remove the chops to a plate and set aside. Add the water, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, remaining butter or more if you like and parsley. Scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is melted turn the heat on to medium high.  Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.  Add back the chops and spoon the sauce over top. 

  7. Serve hot with pan sauce.

Recipe Notes

**If you can only find lamb chops all you need to do is omit the oven step.  Since lamb chops are typically thinner you just need to sear in them the hot pan for 3 minutes a side for medium-rare. Once they are cooked remove to a plate and set aside. Add the mushrooms, garlic and butter to pan and let saute for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms soften and the garlic becomes soft.  Then follow instructions for pan sauce. 

Needed Items