American lamb chops are a quick and easy meat cut to season and cook. Typically, I’ll season the meat in a marinade for a short time, then cook it over heat till they develop a nice crust to the desired degree of doneness, and then serve it with a salad or some vegetable. I’m taking advantage of spring produce – asparagus and green beans. Use young asparagus and green beans, so the final texture is tender and not chewy. The older these vegetables, the more fibrous and chewy their texture. Adding pumpkin seeds adds a pop of crunchiness to the vegetables, while the lemon juice helps pop the flavors out, and the fish sauce adds a note of savoriness. I like to use a generous amount of garlic when I cook lamb; I’ve toned it down a little here, but bump it up for those of you who are garlic lovers! You can also make it hotter by adding minced green chilli like a Serrano, Thai pepper, or cayenne. If you own an outdoor grill or grill pan with grates, you can get those nice char marks, but a regular skillet will work wonderfully too. If you have fresh aromatic herbs like mint, add them to the vegetables for a beautiful hint of coolness. Currently, over 80,000 family farmers and ranchers across our country raise lamb for our food. If possible, try to support your local farmer’s markets and stores by purchasing lamb from them; this helps the families and farms grow our food and strengthens the community. Check out the American Lamb Board to learn more about lamb and available options. In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the American Lamb Board is running a campaign to help support America’s farmers and ranchers; please take a moment to check out fanoflamb’s #TheLambChallenge campaign to help raise money for Feeding America and the opportunity to win some great prizes! 4 American lamb loin chops (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs /455 g to 680 g total weight) 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus a little extra to brush the pan 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp fine sea salt (if you have a smoked infused salt on hand, use that for a kick of smoky aroma) For the asparagus and grilled beans 1 lb/455 g asparagus spears, bottom tough end trimmed and discarded 1 lb/455 g green beans, ends trimmed and discarded 3 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil fine sea salt 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice 2 Tbsp wet mustard 2 tsp honey 1 tsp fish sauce extra lemon wedges to serve
