Israeli Spiced Lamb Cutlets

Frenched lamb cutlets are somewhat of a gourmet and infrequent offering in our house (even though we raise hundreds of sheep!).

If you’re not familiar with them, cutlets are taken from a rack of lamb, and have the extra fat and meat trimmed away so the rib bone is exposed. This makes for a very neat looking ‘chop’ and a convenient ‘handle’ for young (and old) eaters 🙂

Admittedly while there’s not a lot of meat on each cutlet, those mouthfuls are certainly some of the most tender and flavoursome that you’ll enjoy from the whole animal.

Usually we advocate keeping your seasonings simple and to a minimum when you’re cooking lamb. (Lest your seasonings overshadow the delicate, sweet flavour of the meat).

But occasionally we like to try flavours from different cuisines.

On this instance we really had a hankering for something with a bit of spice, with the stipulation that it could be prepared easily from ingredients in our cupboard.

Oh, and we needed dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes!

This recipe easily accomplished all these criteria.

And our kids were happy because they were allowed to eat their lamb without a knife and fork, and they each had a bone to gnaw on 🙂

Stunning Israeli Spiced Lamb Cutlets

• 6 lamb loin chops
• 1 tsp sumac powder
• 1 tsp dried mint leaves *
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Stir together sumac, mint, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl; season generously with pepper.
2. Place cutlets on a plate; rub each side with spice mixture.
3. Let stand at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
4. Heat a knob of lard or good drizzle of olive oil in a very large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
5. Add cutlets. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Cook cutlets for 4 – 5 minutes on each side, turning once, until deeply browned. (Best served medium-rare).
7. Serve with wedges of lemon and a big bowl of steaming vegies or a garden salad.

Serves: 3 – 4

* Recipe Notes – Fresh mint can be substituted for dry if preferred. Use several teaspoons of fresh mint, and chop very finely.