How to Cook Shoulder Lamb Chops

The Problem

When buying lamb, many people turn to the tried, true, and expensive rib or loin chop. The oddly shaped, much less expensive shoulder chop rarely gets a second look.

The Goal

We wanted to come up with a tried-and-true method of preparing shoulder lamp chops.

The Solution

Grilling the chops from medium/medium-rare to well-done rendered their fat, produced a nicely caramelized crust, and left the meat both tender and juicy. Broiling, though not the spectacular success that grilling was, produced a very serviceable result and offered the advantage having juices collect in the broiling pan. They can be poured over the meat as a simple sauce. Because braising is used for tough cuts of meat and therefore implies long, slow cooking, we tried it a couple of times--with poor results--until we realized that shoulder chops are not tough cuts of meat; if they were, we wouldn't have had such success with grilling or broiling. Consequently, we tried a much shorter braise--just enough to cook the meat--at 15 or 20 minutes. It worked. The lamb was tender, and the much-anticipated sauce we made with the deglazing liquid were delicious.

list of recipes

• Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Tomatoes and Red Wine
• Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Olives
• Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Capers, Balsamic Vinegar, and Red Peppers
• Braised Shoulder Lamb Chops with Figs and North African Spices
• Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Garlic-Rosemary Marinade
• Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Soy-Shallot Marinade