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Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Soy-Shallot Marinade

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 15, 2011

Time

50 minutes, plus 20 minute standing

Yield

Serves 4

Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Soy-Shallot Marinade

Ingredients

Soy-Shallot Marinade

¼ cup minced shallots, or minced scallion2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), about ¾ inch thickSalt and ground black pepper

Before You Begin

These chops can be grilled on a gas grill as well as over charcoal. To test the grill heat, hold your hand five inches over the cooking grate. When you can hold it in place for no more than two seconds, the fire is ready. Half-inch-thick chops, which you often find at the grocery store meat counter, need less cooking time—about thirty seconds less per side. This variation is adapted from a recipe taught at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School.

Instructions

  1. Mix marinade ingredients in small bowl. Rub both sides of each chop with the paste; let stand at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  2. Heat enough coals to cover surface area large enough for four chops. Once coals are covered with gray ash, spread them, set grill rack in place, and cover grill with lid in order to heat rack, about 5 minutes. Or heat oven broiler.
  3. Sprinkle both sides of each chop with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Position chops over hot coals. Grill until bottom of each chop is well browned, about 2 minutes. (If chops start to flame, pull off heat for a moment or extinguish flames with squirt bottle.) Turn each chop and cook about 2 more minutes for medium-rare or 2 1/2 minutes for medium. If broiling, position chops 2 to 3 inches from heating element and cook about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes each side for medium.
Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Soy-Shallot Marinade

Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops with Soy-Shallot Marinade

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

50 minutes, plus 20 minute standing

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Soy-Shallot Marinade

¼ cup minced shallots, or minced scallion
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), about ¾ inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper

Ingredients

Soy-Shallot Marinade

¼ cup minced shallots, or minced scallion
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), about ¾ inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper

Ingredients

Soy-Shallot Marinade

¼ cup minced shallots, or minced scallion
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lamb

4 lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), about ¾ inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Our best grilled shoulder lamb chops recipe calls for grilling the chops from medium/medium-rare to well-done to render their fat and produce a nicely caramelized crust, leaving the meat both tender and juicy.

Before You Begin

These chops can be grilled on a gas grill as well as over charcoal. To test the grill heat, hold your hand five inches over the cooking grate. When you can hold it in place for no more than two seconds, the fire is ready. Half-inch-thick chops, which you often find at the grocery store meat counter, need less cooking time—about thirty seconds less per side. This variation is adapted from a recipe taught at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School.

Instructions

  1. Mix marinade ingredients in small bowl. Rub both sides of each chop with the paste; let stand at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  2. Heat enough coals to cover surface area large enough for four chops. Once coals are covered with gray ash, spread them, set grill rack in place, and cover grill with lid in order to heat rack, about 5 minutes. Or heat oven broiler.
  3. Sprinkle both sides of each chop with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Position chops over hot coals. Grill until bottom of each chop is well browned, about 2 minutes. (If chops start to flame, pull off heat for a moment or extinguish flames with squirt bottle.) Turn each chop and cook about 2 more minutes for medium-rare or 2 1/2 minutes for medium. If broiling, position chops 2 to 3 inches from heating element and cook about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes each side for medium.

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