Cherry Balsamic Lamb Chops with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Most of the time our meals consist of ordinary, everyday meat. You know, chicken, beef, fish…that kinda thing. But every once in awhile, I decide to spend a little extra for something like lamb, and fancy dinner up a bit. And every time I do, we are not disappointed. This was no exception.

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For one reason or another mint seems to go well with lamb. Then you add cherries and balsamic to that equation and oh.my.gawd. Even though this meal is a little fancied up, when it came time to eat it, it was more of a primal dinner. Forks and knives? Nah. We just picked those little lambies up by the bone and gnawed the meat right off. We’re classy, right? You can use a fork and knife, though, and be all sophisticated and such.

The chops were perfectly seared, with a nice salt and pepper crust on them, and then with the cherry-balsamic sauce and mint yogurt sauce, it was just a flavor explosion with each bite. I’ve found that lamb chops tend to be minimally gamey, unlike ground lamb. And while I enjoy a good game-meat (hello, venison!) I don’t like when that gamey-ness is overpowering. And with these is it definitely not. I picked those little lamb chops clean and scraped up every bit of both sauces.

Oh, and those sweet potato noodles did quite nicely underneath. Just sayin’. #spiralizealltheveggies

So basically, this is the best lamb chop recipe ever, ever and you need to make it right away. And, oh lookie, it’s a holiday weekend coming up! You could even make these little beauts on the grill if you so desired. You know, to be holiday barbecue-y and all that good stuff, like the cool kids.

Want a fancied up dinner that won’t take all day? Then look no further, it has arrived.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted cherries
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 4-6 lamb chops, depending on size (I had 5 relatively small ones)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp mint, or more to taste
• 3 oz Greek yogurt

Preparation

1. Combine the cherries and sugar together in a medium saucepan, and stir over medium heat until softened.
2. Wash and pat the lamb dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook for 4-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until seared, golden brown, and cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of oil, black pepper, and vinegar to the cherry saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. You can prepare the mint yogurt sauce while the cherry sauce is simmering. Add the mint to your food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the yogurt and pulse on low until well-combined. Taste and add more mint, if desired.
5. Add butter to the cherry sauce and stir until butter has melted.
6. Serve the lamb chops with a spoonful of the mint yogurt sauce, and a generous drizzle of the cherry balsamic sauce. How’s that for fancy in a snap??