Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
Check out these little beauties. Sous vide lamb chops cooked to perfection. Moist, tender and no stress about over cooking. Worth the extra cook time if you have it.
Servings (change as needed): 4 chops (2-3 servings)
Ingredients
- 4 lamb loin chops, about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs (0.45-0.55kg) total 1-1 1/2 (2.5-3.2cm) inches thick
- kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oil with high heat point e.g. vegetable, canola, grapeseed
Mint Chimichurri sauce, Note 1 for shortcut
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, Note 2
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, larger stems removed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves 1 clove
- 1/2 lemon (lemon juice plus zest)
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes, or more to taste optional
- 3 tablespoon neutral olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- HEAT SOUS VIDE WATER BATH: Heat sous vide water to your desired internal temperature. 131F (55C) for medium-rare lamb. (I use this) 138-140F (59-60C) for medium. 145-148F (63-64C ) for medium well.
- PREPARE LAMB CHOPS: Season chops generously on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in large sealable bag. Note 1. Add a small sprig of fresh rosemary if desired.
- COOK SOUS VIDE: Using the displacement method, place unzipped bag of lamb chops into preheated water bath until top of bag is just above water line. Air will be pushed out. Then zip up bag. Let bag go - it should sink below water line if all the air is out of the bag. Clip to side if needed. Cook for 1.5-3 hours. Cooking time depends on thickness. Chops up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cook thicker chops 2 1/2 to 3 hours.) Remove chops from water bath and sous vide bag. Pat dry with paper towels. If you have time, let them rest for 10-60 minutes before final sear. If no time, don't worry about it.
- MAKE MINT CHIMICHURRI SAUCE: You can use a food processor or immersion blender for 1 minute to pulse all ingredients together to blend. Alternatively, chop all ingredients finely by hand and blend well with whish or fork. Note 2 for shortcut.
- FINISH LAMB CHOPS: Either finish with a pan sear or on grill. For either method, brush lightly with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. I only finish the chops on one side to make them look nice. I don't see a point in doing the other side as it doesn't show and there is a risk of over cooking the chops. If chops are cooled down, you can sear on both sides if you like. I like to rest them for at least 10 minutes but it's not essential. To grill: Heat grill to High (500-600F OR 260-315C). Grill for 1 minute on one side and, if chops are thick, another minute on edges (to render and brown fat). To pan sear: Heat non stick pan or cast iron skillet to very hot e.g. 8-9/10. Place lamb chops in hot skillet and do a quick sear. Press gently to sear them evenly for less than 1 minute per side. If chops are thick, sear outer edges as well. Drizzle mint chimichurri on chops or pass on the side.
Notes
- Alternate bagging for sous vide: Instead of the water displacement method, you can use a vacuum sealer with a vacuum seal bag.
- Shortcut for chimichurri sauce: You can skip the homemade chimichurri and use a bottled chimichurri sauce, mint jelly or any fruit chutney.
- If you can't find fresh mint leaves, double the amount of parsley and add 1-2 tsp bottled mint sauce. Then taste and adjust seasonings to your taste. Alternatively, use chives or fresh oregano instead of mint leaves.
- To make ahead:
- Sous vide the chops a day ahead and place them in the fridge in the bag. To finish, bring them to room temperature and sear or grill for 40-60 seconds per side (or slightly longer if chops are very thick).
- The chimichurri sauce can be made several days ahead and kept in a sealed container in the fridge.
Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg