Three Layer Cake

Grilled Lamb Chops

When I saw these tiny little chops in the butcher's case, I bought a kilogram worth to share with a friend who was coming over for Saturday lunch.  They were so cute, I just had all sorts of ideas about how to grill them up nicely.

I looked up the traditional way to prepare these in the Lazio region, and whether it is tradition or just commonplace, they are generally prepared with a paste of prosciutto fat, rosemary, garlic, and salt.  I opted to use olive oil, so I put fresh rosemary, garlic, and salt in the food processor and pour in the olive oil as though I were making pesto.

I put the chops, rinsed and dried, in a Tupperware-type container and poured over the mixture.  I closed the container, shook it up, and handed it off to the King of the Grill, who grilled them to perfection.

To accompany them, had I not been so lazy, I would have served tomato bruschetta (sliced bread, grilled til toasted, then wiped with a fresh piece of garlic, and covered with chopped cherry tomatoes and basil) and grilled potatoes (sliced about 1/4-inch thick and brushed with some of the olive-oil mixture used for the meat which had been previously set aside).

Photo:  Stephen Walls