Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops

Several weeks ago, I saw a post on social media from a farmer friend of mine with an offer for a lamb share. A lamb share - that is a whole, half, or quarter of a lamb raised by Jeremy also known as Farmer Shep; you can visit his Facebook page. Though I really considered getting a whole lamb share, my freezer was packed to the brim with a half. This is what I did to my office freezer between pick-up and when I got to go home.

And because we were in the middle of our Pirates of the Caribbean movie marathon, I decided to go with a Jamaican jerk rub on some grilled lamb chops.  I served them with beans and rice and a Coconut Mojito.

Ingredients

Jamaican Jerk Spice

• 1 Tablespoon garlic granules
• 1 to 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we don't like it too hot, so we lean towards 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt (I used a smoked salt)
• 2 teaspoons organic granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground all cardamom
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari
• 2 Tablespoons oil

Lamb Chops

• 4 lamb chops
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• Also needed: a grill pan, cooking oil

Procedure

Place all of the Jamaican jerk ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you have a thick paste.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper on both sides. Then smear the paste liberally on the lamb chops - on both sides - and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Pull the meat out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you want to cook them.

Heat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Grease the pan and place the chops on the grill. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes to one side, then flip and let cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. The meat should still be soft to the touch. Let rest for 5 to 6 minutes before serving.