Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic Yogurt and Courgette
Lamb chops marinated in garlic, lemon and mint, grilled over direct heat until charred at the edges, and served with a cool garlic yogurt and grilled courgette. A high-protein Mediterranean plate with no chili heat.
- Total
- 48 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 28 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Grilling · Marinating
- Savory
- Mediterranean
- Barbecue
Instructions
-
Finely grate 1 garlic clove and add it to a small bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, the finely grated zest of the lemon, half the mint finely chopped, 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the lamb chops and set them aside while you prepare the rest.
~10 min
Marinating the lamb in acid and salt seasons the meat and starts breaking down surface proteins, so it grills up more tender and flavourful.
Marinating Rub the marinade into every surface and let it sit at least while you prep; too long in acid can make the meat mushy.
-
Crush the remaining garlic clove to a paste with a pinch of salt. Stir it into the yogurt with 1 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until serving.
~3 min
-
Cut the courgette lengthwise into 1 cm thick planks. Brush both sides with the remaining 0.5 tbsp olive oil and season with a pinch of salt.
~2 min
-
Light the barbecue and let it burn until the coals are covered in grey ash and you can hold your hand 10 cm above the grill for only 3 seconds. Oil the grill bars with a folded paper towel dipped in a little olive oil.
~10 min
Coals covered in grey ash and a 3-second hand hold mean the fire is at a steady high heat, so the courgette and lamb char without burning.
-
Lay the courgette planks on the grill in a single layer. Cook until deep char marks form and the flesh is tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move them to a plate.
~8 min
Grilling Cook over steady high heat and leave the food still until deep char marks release it; moving it too early tears the crust and sticks.
-
Place the lamb chops on the hot grill. Cook until well browned and charred at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, or until the thickest part reaches 63°C on a thermometer. Rest the chops on a board for 5 minutes.
~13 min
Pulling the chops at 63°C and resting them lets carryover cooking finish the centre while the juices redistribute, so they stay pink and juicy.
Lamb chops are best at medium: pull them at 63°C and let the 5-minute rest carry them to a juicy pink centre. Beyond 68°C they turn dry and grey.
Grilling Cook over steady high heat and leave the food still until deep char marks release it; moving it too early tears the crust and sticks.
-
Spoon the garlic yogurt onto a plate and spread it with the back of the spoon. Lay the courgette and lamb chops on top, squeeze over the remaining lemon and scatter with the rest of the mint.
~2 min