Chump chops are a great tasting cut of lamb centred around some bone. The old expression, ‘the closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat’, really rings true in this dish, served with a punchy and slightly sweet pepper salad.
| Servings | 4 |
| Preparation time | 20 mins |
| Cooking time | 50 mins |
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg lamb chump chops
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 lemons, juiced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- For the Salad
- 4 red capsicums
- 4 yellow capsicums
- 1 bunch parsley, destemmed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup pine nuts
- Small handful oregano leaves
- Small handful mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½ cup feta, crumbled
- ¼ cup pipped black olives
- Olive oil to drizzle
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
- Marinate the lamb chops in a shallow dish with the dried oregano, lemon juice, honey and half the extra virgin olive oil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. Shake the container vigorously every half hour or so.
- Meanwhile make the salad by preheating the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan. Place the capsicum on a sheet of baking paper on a roasting tray. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt and roast for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked, sunken and the skin beginning to blacken. Remove, place in a plastic bag and wrap in a thick cloth and allow to sit for 15 minutes. By this stage they will be cool enough to handle. Remove and the stem and seeds and set aside in a bowl. Peel the skins and place in the bowl. Do not rinse the cooked flesh. Slice into 2.5 cm strips and place in a large bowl. While the capsicums are cooking gently toast the pine nuts with the cumin seeds in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Add the parsley, oregano, mint sherry vinegar, the remaining extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts and cumin with a pinch of salt and any juice from the capsicum skins. Mix. Crumble over the Persian feta. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the grill or BBQ. Drain the chops and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook for 6 minutes each side or until a little moisture appears on the top of the chops. Remove from heat, cover loosely, and allow to rest, covered for 5-10 minutes. Serve with the capsicum salad.
