This recipe for Lamb Loin Chops with Greek-Style Salad has everything Demeter would love: feta, olives, cucumbers, tomato, peppers, and more in a robust dressing.
Lamb Loin Chops with Greek Salad
Course: DinnerCuisine: Greek4
servingsSince you’ll be using the food processor for the dressing, it’d be convenient to use it to slice the radishes beforehand.
Ingredients
- For the Greek vinaigrette:
4 large cloves garlic
6 Tbs olive oil
6 Tbs lemon juice
4 anchovy fillets
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp honey
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
- For the salad:
3-4 packed cups roughly sliced curly endive (from one head)
1.5 packed cups roughly sliced iceberg lettuce
6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1 medium avocado, diced (optional)
1/2 red bell pepper, large-diced (optional)
1/2 yellow bell pepper, large-diced (optional)
1 small un- or partially-peeled cucumber, sliced into half-moons
1/2 of a red onion (or less, to taste), peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
7 oz. feta, cubed
3/4 cup pitted ripe (Kalamata) olives, drained and halved
Crusty bread or seasoned flatbread, for serving (optional)
- For the lamb:
1.25 lbs. lamb loin chops (4 chops)
Salt and pepper
1-2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp dried thyme
1 trp dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Directions
- Remove the chops from their packaging, and let sit at room temperature (20 minutes).
- Make the dressing.
- Blitz all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, starting with quick pulses and ending with high continuous speed.
- Make the salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, layer all the ingredients. The dressing and the salad – with the exception of the avocado – can be prepped well in advance and kept separately, refrigerated.
- Cook the lamb.
- Pat chops very dry with paper towels. Season on both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (setting 6 out of 9), 5 minutes. Add oil and heat for a few seconds. Add the chops (see notes). Cook until deeply browned on one side, 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 more minutes: after the 1st minute, add butter, herbs, and garlic in a pile in the center of the pan. As soon as the butter has melted, begin constant basting. After the 3rd minute, lower the heat to medium-low (setting 2) and take the chops’ internal temperature. I suggest aiming for a temperature range from of 135°F to 145°F, leaning toward less instead of more. If they’re not yet in this range, continue basting until they are. Once you hit temperature, immediately remove the chops from the pan, turn heat to lowest setting to keep the pan juices hot, and let the chops rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with next step.
- Dress and serve the salad.
- Pour the all the dressing (or to taste) over the salad and toss (see notes). Divide among plates. When the chops are rested, turn off the stove, spoon a teaspoon of pan juices over each chop, and nestle them into the salad plates. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Substitutions: red wine vinegar for the lemon juice. Romaine for the endive, or a mixture of the two. Spinach for the lettuce. A medium tomato, chopped, for the cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Don’t let much time pass between adding the first and last chops to the pan. Once you’ve got the first one in, get the rest in very quickly. This might sound crazy, but in my experience, a difference of as little as 30 seconds can make a difference in doneness between the chops.
- This is meant to be a lot of salad per serving. If it’s more than you want, remove and refrigerate excess before dressing the amount you intend to serve.
Social Learning
This is a guest-worthy meal if you can get the lamb right.
OK, now I’m going to act like I know something so take this with a grain of salt, because I’m just some dude who cooks for fun at home: all the tricks to getting the lamb right are already in the directions. If you’ve not cooked lamb chops before, you may want to try it out for yourself before making it for guests. Although, if you know how to cook a steak, it’s pretty much the same thing.
Although the salad doesn’t need the avocado, it has a calming effect on the other, bolder flavors.
The bell peppers taste great and work well with the other ingredients. Peppers are also traditional in a Greek salad. But in my version, they’re also there for color. If you use red tomatoes, you could get by without the red bell pepper, unless you really want it. If you use yellow tomatoes, ditto with the yellow bell pepper. If you use something other than red or yellow tomatoes – like orange ones, or those cool-looking dark, almost-purple ones – you might want both peppers! You get the drift.
From my limited perusal of the internet in search of lamb temperatures, I see a lot of variation. I like at least some pink in my lamb, if not some red, and if you cross 145°F, you’re putting all of that into your rear view mirror.
Adult Lunchbox
If you know you’ll have salad leftover, add avocado only to, and dress only what, you intend to serve. Cut leftover lamb from the bone, remove and discard any fat, slice the meat thinly against the grain, and add it to the leftover, undressed salad.
If you’re packing this salad in your lunch, follow the same instructions as for leftovers. Omit avocado. Pack dressing separately.
Lamb Loin Chops with Greek-Style Salad
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: “Greek-Style Salads,” in Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. (Des Moines, IA: BHG, 1996), 425. Also Cooking Classy, Cooking LSL, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Momdish, Serious Eats, The Mediterranian Dish. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
We love lamb and I know TheHub will love this salad also. Now I just have to wait for the chops to go on sale!
Right?!?
I absolutely love lamb and will have to triple the lamb recipe! 4 chops ain’t even enough for me 🙂
I get that!
Hi Jeff. I’m not into lamb. But I’m VERY much into good salads and dressings. And the ingredients for your salad and dressing are absolutely superb.
Thanks!
Lamb chops aren’t my jam, but I do love Mediterranean flavors. This salad sounds delicious, Jeff! Now I’m craving feta cheese…I wonder if it goes well with coffee?
Maybe … or, does it go with breakfast wine?
Ontario Lamb has become ridiculously expensive here, surprisingly Australian and New Zealand lamb is still affordable! The dish sounds fabulous, particularly for summer. I just love a colourful, crunchy salad.
Thanks, Eva!
I absolutely LOVE lamb. Comparing it to cooking a good steak is spot on. The salad also sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome!
This is fabulous! I LOVE lamb, and love it rare. And I love it as cold cuts. Great dressing! I could eat this every day.
Thanks Mimi!
This looks lovely! Greek salad is my favorite.
Thank you!
What a fantastic combination of ingredients — I especially love the big chunks of Feta (way better than crumbled!). This is my favorite type of main course. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you, Valentina!
I love lamb. Too bad it’s under-appreciated. I think it’s second only to perhaps pork as the tastiest meat. Salad sounds like the perfect accompaniment.
Thanks, Frank!
Me gusta el cordero y con el aderezo que le has puesto a las chuletas (y la ensalada, por supuesto), suena delicioso.
Thank you!
While I don’t eat lamb, my husband loves it. Our anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. I should make this for us. He can have the lamb and I’ll enjoy the salad.
There you go!
Lamb has always been a favorite and Greek preparations are classic. What a nice meal this is!
Thank you, David!