Grilled lamb is one of my favorite meals and luscious, tender, juicy grilled lamb chops flavored with rosemary, fennel and garlic are the best! Lamb is so rich, I decided to pair grilled chops with sweet, slightly earthy Shishito peppers and a green salad for an easy to prepare a satisfying meal. Slender, finger-long green Shishito peppers from East Asia (Japan/ Korea) are thin-skinned and sweeter than your common green pepper; they become mildly hot once they turn red. You can also serve lightly charred shishitos alone as a delicious light snack or appetizer. If you enjoy the many varieties of peppers from hot to sweet, shishito peppers are a must-try.

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 lamb chops per person; 1 1/2-2 inches thick

• Montreal Steak Seasoning

• 2-3 Shishito peppers per person

• Assorted salad greens of your choice with a light balsamic vinaigrette

• flaky salt or Kosher salt

Preparation:

For the Chops:

1. Dry the surface of each lamb chop with a paper towel and sprinkle liberally with Montreal Steak Seasoning (recipe on this website); refrigerate uncovered for 1- 4 hours, preferably overnight. (Note: like steak, allowing the surface moisture on the lamb chops to evaporate in the fridge produces a more flavorful crust when the chop or steak is pan fried or grilled.) Remove the chops from the fridge and bring to room temperature at least 30-45 minutes before grilling.

2. Preheat your grill and grill the chops over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side: 3 minutes per side will give you medium-rare (pink) to rare chops; 4 minutes per side will produce medium to medium-rare chops. You can also use an instant-read meat thermometer: 120-125 degrees equals medium-rare which is generally considered the ideal doneness for lamb; well-done, over-cooked lamb loses its flavor and is tough.

3. Once the chops have reached the desired doneness, remove them from the grill and tent them loosely for about 5 minutes to allow the juices in the meat that have migrated to the surface during the grilling to sink back into the chop. Tenting will give you a juicier piece of meat.

For the Shishitos:

1. While the lamb chops are in the fridge, pierce each pepper with a pin or toothpick to allow moisture to escape during the cooking; brush the peppers lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Set aside. (see *Note below)

2. Once you have tented the grilled lamb chop, place the shishitos on the hot grill, turning frequently until they just begin to char. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with more salt if desired. Enjoy!

Serve with a green salad of your choice.

*Note: for best results, grill or fry the shishitos over high-heat. If you can’t find Shishito peppers, you can substitute Padrón peppers.

Wine pairing: a full-bodied Zinfandel, Rioja, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Nero d’Avola red wine will complement the richness of the lamb.