It may seem like there are suddenly a lot of lamb chop recipes and there’s a good explanation for them. It’s artichoke season here and lamb and artichokes are such a good combination. These have hoisin sauce, which my husband loves. Serves 4:
Hoisin Lamb Chops
- ⅔ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 12 lamb rib chops (1–1¼” thick)
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Purée hoisin, gochujang, garlic, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and ⅔ cup water in a blender until smooth. Place lamb chops in a baking dish and pour marinade over; turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes.
Heat sesame oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter. Working in batches, remove lamb chops from marinade, letting excess drain back into dish, and cook in a single layer until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter; set marinade aside.
Add onion to drippings in skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the marinade and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir remaining ⅛ teaspoon vinegar into sauce and remove from heat.
Drizzle ½ cup of the sauce over lamb chops. Let remaining sauce in skillet cool 1 minute, then transfer to a blender. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and and purée until smooth, you can add a little water if it’s too thick. Transfer to a small bowl and set dipping sauce aside.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over lamb. Serve with reserved dipping sauce alongside and enjoy!
My verdict:
With 2 hoisin lovers, this was an easy hit. We used lamb chops, but both of us thought pork chops, or even a fish filet (cod?) might be a better bet. The artichoke was great, but rice and some bok choy or broccoli would be more traditional.
If you don’t have gochujang, sriracha would work, but start slowly–it’s hotter than gochujang.
The dipping sauce was good, the recipe makes enough that we have leftover sauce, which I’ll use as a marinade for the next time.
