# Sauce Needed for Lamb Chops



## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

As I was making groceries at Central Market this afternoon, I couldn't resist picking up a couple of lamb loin chops and some purple potatoes. I roasted the potatoes with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. I seared the lamb chops and basted them for a few minutes with some butter.



The dish was great. In fact, I think I'm going to make it again soon. So my question is, what are some suggestions for sauces to go with the lamb. The first thing I thought of was something mint-based, just because I love the combination of mint and lamb. What are some other suggestions?


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

Yes,  something mint would be wonderful,  not just because of the lamb, though.  Mint would also be a nice compliment to the rosemary potatoes.  You might even consider a mint rub on the chops.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Mint with lamb is all very well, but with respect it's sort of been done to death if you know what I mean. 

How much effort are you willing to go to?  If you're up to making a lamb stock, you could do an olive cream.  You could shortcut it with pre-made beef stock if you like.

If you're feeling lazy you could do a mustard heavy play on curry.  Curry flavors take very well to mint.  So that would give you some nice looking, minced fresh herbs to garnish.

Grilled meats favor simplicity.  The best suggestion might a minor variation on a "marchand du vin," which is pretty much just a demi-glace plus wine reduction.  Onions or shallots with garlic slowly cooked way down in red wine is a very simple possibility.

There's always bordelaise.

BDL


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

licorice merlot sauce


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I've been saying this around here a lot lately but I like a refreshing yogurt sauce to cut through the richness of the lamb.  A tzatziki to be exact.  For a lamb dish I like combining greek yogurt with fresh mint, minced fresh garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt.  It also compliments the potatoes very well.

Mint can never be done to death, it's a beautiful herb.  But you can try making a sun dried tomato and red wine reduction sauce.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

If I roast lamb, I like to serve it with a home-made mint sauce (not that fluorescent green 'jelly' so beloved of certain supermarkets).

I also like to serve it with a cumberland sauce.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

Ishbel said:


> I also like to serve it with a cumberland sauce.


Not sure why I didn't think of this. I love it with venison.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Interesting. I use Cumberland sauce cold as a condiment for wild game pate'


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Nice plate of lamb, tylerm713!

For a sauce; lamb actually needs no sauce at all! Unless of course the natural "jus" that's left in your pan.

You also can improve the taste of this jus by marinating the meat in oil before frying itl;

a tablespoon of oil, roughly chopped clove of garlic and a little fresh or dried(stronger tasting than fresh!) rosemaryleaves, the perfect herb for lamb. And pepper of course, no salt in the marinade.

Rub everything in the meat and let it rest like that for 30-45 minutes... at roomtemperature. Take the garlic off before frying it! Salt with fleur de sel just after frying. Let the meat rest under aluminiumfoil for 5 minutes.

The perfect sauce for lamb however has always been "sauce choron", which is nothing else than béarnaise with a small bit of tomato paste added at the end.

Edit; *If I had to choose, I'd go for this jus*. Get some lambfond or vealfond(let's say 200-300 ml) and reduce (you can do this part even before cooking anything);

Bring to a gentle boil so it reduces to 1/3th of it's volume. It's the season of mushrooms. Get a handful chopped up and cook in the fond while it reduces. When reduced, let cool, sieve and squeeze every single drop out of the mushrooms. This is your base for the sauce. Note; "fond" is french for base.

When your meat is resting, deglaze the pan in which you fried it with a dash of portwine, scrape all the bits from the surface of the pan and reduce a little. Now add the reduced fond. Let cook for a while. Then, lift the pan from the fire, add a tablespoon worth of cold butter and gently swirl with the pan until the butter has melted entirely; don't use a whisk!!. Now you can put it on a low heat to keep warm. Cut a pinch of fresh thymeleaves, or rosemaryleaves very finely and add the very last moment to the sauce. Taste for P&S! Done.

In my country, amateurcooks will find these fonds in any supermarket, maybe you have something similar; http://www.lacroix.be/nl/fonds/lacroix_fonds.html


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## rusandreas (Oct 18, 2010)

for some reason when i think game i think fruit. off of natural diet what do animals enjoy as a special treat in the wild? berries and nuts etc. so if talking bone reduction or stock blackberry ivory sauce is a winner if talking herbal things i would go with mint and bing cherry gastrique. good call on the mint, i think basil could sub as well.. but whatever the choice of sauce idea the lamb should shine on its own. word


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2010)

I make a minted pepper jelly for lamb that is very enjoyable. Well its more like a relish I guess.

Take equal parts (in weight) assorted bell peppers and granulated sugar plus a little fresh garlic cover and let sit at room temp over night.

Heat to evaporate the water to your desired thickness.

I like to add fresh chocolate mint at the end along with a little Thai basil and sweet chili sauce.

If you like it spicy us a couple spicy chili peppers. smoking or roasting  the peppers also adds a little depth in flavor. I do a variation with chipotle that also works well.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

I'm over lamb with mint, for now. I prefer just to fry the chops till almost done with basic S&P, medium high heat - about 2 mins each side (I like it pink inside), then right at the end on goes some fresh lemon juice and after that steams of nicely, add some light soy sauce. Great on top of boiled rice and some steamed pak choy. Just drizzle the pan juices over the meat once you've plated up.

Ahhh... my comfort food of the moment.

Koukouvagia - excellent idea with tzatziki. I often put it with the lamb or even just plain Greek yoghurt. Even after the soy - I have wierd taste buds /img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif Soy could be left out, and yoghurt/tzatziki as a dressing once done and rested.

Other things I also like with lamb chops is the passatas you can get out shopping. Ok it's a cheat, but it works for busy people and tastes pretty good. Again, serve with some rice and some steamed greens, french beans go well. Bit of crunchy baguette and salted butter.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Maybe I'm weird, but I mostly don't do sauces with lamb chops. I just do an herbal or spice rub, depending on mood, and pop 'em on the grill. Cooked until they're still slightly pink, I find them juicy enough to not really need saucing.

Friend Wife cannot eat whole corn, so I make something I call a succotash sauce, which is actually a thin puree. I'll often serve loin lamb chops atop a puddle of that. They go together really well.

Another nice approach is Virginia Willis' Pecan Lamb Chops---but those use the lolipops rather than the loin chops. These go particularly well with a cranberry/sage/wine reduction. No reason that wouldn't work with the loin chops.

Bruce Aidel's does a  braised lamb chops in a sausage & anchovy sauce, which makes an interesting change of pace.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

KYH,

Good idea with the corn puree. I have one in the house, well 3 really, who don't like corn in the whole kernel.

Might have to give that one a go - anything else that needs to be known to make it- e.g. other other ingredients, method etc etc.

When you have a moment spare .... /img/vbsmilies/smilies//smile.gif

DC


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

DC, succotash is about as American a dish as it gets. It stretches back to colonial days, and was perhaps learned from natives. Although there are variations, and other additions such as peppers, it's basically corn and lima beans cooked in milk. Normally they're left whole.

Here's my recipe for

*Succotash Sauce*

2 cups grilled corn kernels

1 cup limas, cooked until almost tender

1 tbls olive oil

1 Jalapeno or other chili, charred, cleaned and chopped fine

1 shallot, chopped fine

1 cup milk

Salt and white pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper, charred, cleaned and diced fine

Saute shallots and chili until soft. Stir in corn and limas. Season with salt and white pepper. Add milk. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until veggies are soft and milk reducede by about half. Let cool slightly.

Transfer to food processor. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy. Return to pan and reduce further to thicken if needed. Adjust seasonings. Stir in diced bell pepper.

Obviously, the corn doesn't have to be grilled, but it adds an addition level of flavor.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Sufffering Succotash ! (- now, I had to say that, and am wishing I didn't feel the need).

Thank you for the recipe and explanation KYH - it sounds a little like creamed corn but with twists and lima beans etc added.  It does have the feel of a native north american/central american dish given those ingredients.

Do you sieve the blended mix vefore rturning it to the pan?  I sieve most of my sauces, creamed soups etc, and would imagine you'd get a lot of the fibre from the casings of the corn

Never knew what succotash was, so thanks again.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

Since succotash was mentioned, I feel like I must share a recipe. In Louisiana, we have a sort of creamy corn stew called _maque choux _(pronounced mock-shoo) that I think is much better than your average succotash. There are tons of recipes for maque choux; here's mine.

2 Tbsp rendered bacon fat*

1/4 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 ears of corn

8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup tasso, diced

1 Tsp dried oregano

2 Tsp thyme leaves

2 Tbsp butter

flour

salt

white pepper

cayenne pepper

green onion for garnish

*butter or vegetable oil can be substituted, but bacon fat is superior

Liquify the bacon fat in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. When melted, add celery and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, tasso, and salt. Cook until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with flour, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to form a roux.

While vegetables are cooking, remove corn kernals from the cobs with a knife. After kernals are removed, scrape cobs with back of knife to remove corn milk and reserve. Add corn kernals and corn milk to vegetables when tender. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in herbs and tomatoes. Cook for additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in butter, adjust seasoning with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with tasso, it is a heavily spiced, cured, and smoked pork product that is used often in Cajun cooking. It's incredible. If you can't find it, you can use andouille or any other smoked sausage. However, I strongly recommend you try to find tasso if you have never had it.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Trouble with maque choux, Tyler, is that Friend Wife doesn't do spicy. And a bland maque choux might as well be library paste.

But, as you wisely figured out, maque choux was one of my inspirations for the succotash sauce.

_If you can't find it, you can use andouille or any other smoked sausage._

Yeah, that'll work. But let's face facts. Tasso is one of those rarities: a truly unique product that nothing really subs for.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_Do you sieve the blended mix vefore rturning it to the pan?_

Not when it's just the two of us. We like things like that a little on the rustic side. But for a dinner party I would, most likely, sieve it to make it smoother and more of a finished sauce.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Trouble with maque choux, Tyler, is that Friend Wife doesn't do spicy. And a bland maque choux might as well be library paste.
> 
> But, as you wisely figured out, maque choux was one of my inspirations for the succotash sauce.
> 
> ...


Well stated all around. I often will get tasso and just snack on it for a week or two. It's absolutely wonderful. As far as non-spicy maque choux, it's a delicate line. You don't want maque choux to be extremely spicy anyway, or you lose the corn, which is the base of the whole dish. But as you said, a bland maque choux is pretty much only good for making paper mache.


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