Few things are as tasty as a grilled lamb chop, and these grilled lamb chops from the Marche are called scottadito (finger burning) because you won't wait for them to cool before you dig in.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) thickly cut lamb chops
- The leaves from an 8-inch (20 cm) sprig of fresh rosemary
- A few cloves of garlic
- 1/4 pound (100 g) cured lard (visit your delicatessen, or use prosciutto fat if need be)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
In preparing Italian lamb recipes, you should keep in mind that Italian lambs are slaughtered young, and by the time an animal reaches the weight of 40 pounds it's an agnellone -- not quite a sheep, but no longer a lamb either. Your best bet will be to visit your butcher and ask for meat from a small, locally grown animal. I think most of what comes from places like New Zealand would be overlarge here.And now, the recipe:
Grind the lard, rosemary leaves, and garlic to make a smooth paste. Spread it on both sides of the chops and let them sit in a cool place for at least 12 hours.
The next day fire up your grill; the ideal combustible is chestnut wood though other coals will work as well. When the fire is ready set the grill over it to heat it for a few minutes, then carefully lay down the lamb chops. Cook them briefly, flip them, and grill the other sides too. The overall cooking time should be a few minutes, though exactly how long will depend upon your grill and your meat.
Remove them and serve them with a tossed salad made with an abundance of greens (arugula, radicchio, dandelion greens, lettuce and whatever else suits your fancy) while they're hot enough to burn the fingers -- that's what scottadito means. And with a red wine, for example a Rosso Conero.
