(no subject)

[heidi]

I make lamb chops all the time. Sometimes two (just for Harry) and sometimes six or eight (for all of us).

But has anyone ever made 42 lamb chops for a dinner before? Any tips on roasting or broiling all of them so they're all nicely cooked and not overdone?

Comments

[tropes.livejournal.com]

Hire a caterer.

:D

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly. You're already bringing in other stuff, so you might as well bring in this as well if you can. Because 42 is a hell of a lot.

[abigail89.livejournal.com]

I've only done pork chops (sorry, bad analogy for you.) But I usually bake them: rub them in olive oil, season to taste, put them in a PYrex dish and cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. They come out tender and juicy.

[isilya]

One thing to note; cooking that quantity of lamb chops will leave your house reeking of rancid fat for days. No matter how well you clean your oven, the fat evaporates into the air and coats every surface.

I have, in fact, cooked around 30 pounds of lamb chops, my house smelt terrible for a week afterward and I couldn't eat lamb for two years afterward.

If you lay them in roasting pans and put an inch of water at the bottom of the pan and bake them at 190 degrees celcius, they cook beautifully -- crisp on the outside and tender in the middle. They are so fatty they do not need any olive oil, and salt only toughens raw meat, but you can add other herbs if you choose (rosemary, mint go very well). This roasting in plain water is economical and allows the true taste of the meat to be the star. We used to use it on the farm, and also when catering.

Alternatively to the water, lay them in the pans, add your fresh herbs and use some of those really large cans of crushed tomatoes to cover. Bake, and you have delicious chops.

Another alternative is to lay them in the pans, splash them with port and herbs and bake. They come out glossy and tangy-sweet.

You could buy some racks of lamb and roast them, then carve them into the individual chops at the end.

If you choose to barbecue, you can fit at least 12 lamb chops on a regular bbq at one time.

If you choose to crumb and fry them... good luck. First into flour, then into egg, then into breadcrumbs, and fried in sunflower oil on medium high heat.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Mer! What is 190 celcius in farenheight? I only have my handheld and can't recalculate!

Am using rosemary, btw...

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Oh, and how many minutes?!??

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

If you're doing that many, it's worth cooking a crown rack of lamb. The butcher can crown the rack for you. Basic version (in your case, double or triple the recipe):

1 crown rack of lamb (16 chops)
1 carrot
1 small onion
1 stalk of celery
1 pound of lamb bones (not nec, but good)
1 quart stock (mutton, veal, beef, or vegetable)
herbs: bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, sage, as you prefer
salt, pepper, minced garlic

Season the lamb with salt, pepper, and garlic. Wrap the tips in foil. Place in a braising or roasting pan. Place bones around the crown of lamb, and in the middle, to help it keep its shape. Cut carrot, onion, celery into chunks and place with herbs around crown. Add root veggies if you like, too.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roast for 10-15 minutes, then at 325° for about an hour, or until cooked as you like it. Baste occasionally to glaze. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add stock to pan and reduce to 1 pint for gravy.

That's the simplest version.

Don't forget the paper frills, the last word in utter silliness.

Nice thing about a crown rack is that you can stuff it--wild rice, pine nuts, or one I like from the NY Times involving dried cherries and hazelnuts *and* wild rice. Or chestnuts. Etc.

Here's a note from the internet: A 5 pound crown rack needs about 70 minutes to cook, 15 minutes at 350 degrees and 55 minutes at 325 degrees. You can insert a meat thermometer between 2 ribs, being careful not to touch the bones. It should register 130 to 135 degrees for pink meat, 150 degrees for medium.

Me, I think 130 degrees is too high--for rare meat I'd stick with 120.