Lamb Can Be a Satisfying Comfort Food

When I think back on my favorite childhood foods, I think of lamb chops.  We didn’t have them very often, probably because they were expensive.  But they were easy to cook—just stick them under the broiler for a few minutes per side and serve.  The only problem I could see was how small they were.  We needed several side dishes to fill out the meal.

In the years since then, I’ve eaten lamb chops a few times,
but they were not on the menu very often.  Sometimes they were hard to find, and they were still expensive.  And my diet has changed.  I no longer eat a lot of meat.

However, none of those reasons got in the way when I saw a package of four lamb shoulder chops in the meat department yesterday.  The price--$7.57--was semi-reasonable, so I bought them.  Only when I opened the package did I notice that they looked nothing like the little loin chops we used to have.  I couldn’t just pop these chops under the broiler for a few minutes per side because they would be tough. 

I needed to make something like Lamb Stew, which requires at least an hour’s cooking to soften up the meat.   

No problem.  I checked in with my cooking expert friend Lynne, who advised adding a little olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, black pepper, an onion, a can of tomatoes, a teaspoon of sugar and some beef broth. 

Shoulder lamb chops taste a lot different from the traditional grilled loin chops, but they brought back a memory of the family dinner table.

Easy Lamb Stew - serves 4

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil - divided use

4 shoulder lamb chops, fat trimmed and discarded

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1 cup beef broth, if available, or water

Begin heating 1 teaspoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the lamb chops and cook for about 3 minutes or until they have fully browned.  Flip them over and let the other side brown.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to the frying pan and begin heating over medium-high heat.  When it is hot, add the onion, garlic, thyme, sugar, salt and black pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions have softened.  Add the tomatoes and beef broth (or water).  Return the lamb chops to the pan.  Bring to a boil, cover and then reduce the heat to low, so the mixture simmers for 1 hour.  Remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.

Serve over rice, if possible.

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