Porcini Mushroom Crusted Lamb Chops
Tender porcini crusted lamb chops, seasoned with a mixture of fresh thyme, salt, pepper and dried wild mushrooms are a delicious, easy variation to try the next time you have a rack or goat or lamb.
Inspired by the Italian Scottaditti (literally translating to “burn your fingers”) this recipe is a little different (and easier) than cooking a whole rack of lamb or goat in the oven. As the chops are cooked quickly and on both sides, it’s also a good thing to make if your guests or family prefer their meat a little more on the done-side of things.
How to Make Porcini Mushroom Crusted Lamb Chops
It’s easy to make: take some goat or lamb chops, season them with some chopped fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and, just before cooking, season them on both sides with dried, ground mushrooms. If the lamb chops are seasoned too far ahead of time the crust will get damp and can burn easily. After the chops are seasoned with the ground mushrooms you fry them in a pan until browned on both sides and serve just like regular lamb chops.
Goat and lamb chops will have a nice layer of fat on the top that I find delicious, but some people may not care for. If you’d prefer to remove the fat from the chops, you can definitely do that. If you leave the fat on, I recommend cooking the chops fat-side down first to get them crisp before browning the other sides.
You could serve the chops with whatever vegetable side you like, but during the summer grill season, I often serve cold vegetable salads that don’t involve turning on a burner or the oven for an extended time. In the video I demonstrate a cold salad made from milkweed shoots and asparagus. Besides the grill, you could also cook the lamb chops sous vide.
This recipe is by James Beard Award-winning Chef Alan Bergo, a chef from Minnesota and author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora. Learn more about Chef Alan at foragerchef.com.
More Lamb and Mushroom Recipes
Lamb Marsala with Wild Mushrooms
Porcini Mushroom Crusted Lamb Chops
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 spice grinder Do not use a food processor it won't work.
Ingredients
Goat Chops and Mushroom Rub
- 1 rack of lamb or goat at room temperature
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh thyme about 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 cup finely ground porcini mushrooms ground in a spice grinder (about 1.5 oz)
- Chives and chive flowers to garnish, optional
Fresh vegetable salad
- Asparagus
- Milkweed
- Hickory nut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh mint basil, dill, or cilantro, or just parsley
- Radishes optional, mostly for color
Instructions
Vegetable Salad (optional)
- Remove all the leaves from the milkweed shoots except the top upper young leaves. Blanch the milkweed and asparagus in boiling salted water for 30 second to one minute, then transfer to a tray to cool naturally.
- Cut the milkweed and asparagus into ½ inch long segments. Halve the radishes if using, then cut into ¼ inch wedges. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl, season to taste with the hickory nut oil, salt, pepper, and mint or other herbs to taste, and set aside or refrigerate.
Goat or Lamb Chops
- Cut the rack into single bone chops. Season with salt pepper and thyme on both sides. Meanwhile, get a large pan hot, such as a 12 inch cast iron skillet. If you don’t have a hood vent, consider putting the pan on a grill so the house doesn’t get smoky.
- When the pan is hot, just before you put the chops in the pan, coat the lamb chops with the mushroom flour, resisting the urge to toss or coat them completely since the mushroom powder will burn if it’s on the fatty cap portion of the chop.
- Put the chops fat cap-side down in a hot pan (or a cast iron pan on a grill if you don’t have a hood vent in the house) and cook on medium-high heat until the fat has rendered out and the fat is nicely browned.
- Flip the chops over to cook the seasoned sides of the chops until done to your liking (2 minutes per side for medium rare) then allow to rest on a cutting board for a few minutes while you toss the salad, adding the lemon juice at the end to taste.
- Arrange 4-6 oz (roughly ½ - ¾ cup) of the vegetable salad on each plate, arrange two of the chops with the bones pointing away from the diner, drizzle with a splash of lemon, garnish with the chives and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition