Tender, juicy, pan-seared lamb chops simmered in a tangy, savory gravy with onions, peppers, celery, and gold potatoes.
Hey PBJ’s.. Im back with another fiya recipe I’m super excited to post. I’ve been sitting on this recipe for years after making it for my momma over 11 years ago.
It’s super delicious and one of a kind because you wont find anywhere else. Most people dont smother their lamb chops with gravy and if they do, they dont using the ingredients I do.
This is a recipe I literally mastered the first time I made it, except it wasn’t actually a recipe because I didn’t use any measurements! Lol!
And why I never posted it to my cooking channel is a mystery. Speaking of which, let me get into how this recipe came about and why I just decided to post it.
Why I love this recipe:
- It’s hearty: I think what I love most about this dish is the warm gravy, tender lamb chops, and potatoes. It reminds me of a stew because it’s hearty like comfort food and perfect for cold winter evenings.
- It’s sophisticated: Lambchops are sort of like a fancy food and so whenever I make them I feel sophisticated, classy, and a lil bougie! Lol! I love lollipop lambchops in particular because plating them is so fun.
- It’s a fan favorite: Lambchops are pretty popular so this is another reason I enjoy making them especially for a gathering of friends because I know Im not going to get any complaints because like, everybody likes lamb chops???
The day I created this recipe
It was a brisky wet Sunday afternoon in October 2013, when my mother asked me if I knew how to make lamb chops! She knew I knew how to throw down and figured however I decided to make them they’d come out tasting pretty good.
My mom loooves my cooking and seem to fall in love with whatever I cook. So even though I had never cooked lamb chops before, she trusted me to produce a good dinner out of them.
I was over her house with my sister and her boyfriend Sam who I happened to be really cool with. Sam also was a fan of my cooking and devoured the lambchops when they were done. Haha!
But back to the beginning – I went downstairs and cleaned the lamp chops with lemon juice and salt… then rinsed them off real good, patted them dry, and laid them in a big casserole dish.
It was like 3 packs of lamb chops, so she wanted me to make a nice amount. The first thing I decided was to bake them and to create a gravy I thought would go well with lamb.
So I combined some water with flour to create a slurry, then chopped up some onions, celery, and peppers, because those are the vegetables I always use when making baked smothered meat.
The one thing I do remember is she had a bunch of different color peppers on the kitchen counter so I just used a little of all of them. Lol! That’s the one thing I remember most about cooking her lamb- the big colorful peppers.
I then decided to add a hint of apple cider vinegar to the baking dish, why? I dont even know… I just thought vinegar would taste well with lamb and happen to luck up because it made the dish what it is.
Then I decided to add some yellow potatoes, which was the kind she had, because I was in a hearty mood. Remember, it was October, and a rainy brisk Sunday at that.
I wanted something comforting to eat on this cold Sunday, especially for football Sunday; the Giants and Eagles played that day. Other thing I remember is us visiting my aunt Pam who lives all the way in Chestnut Hill.
We drove all the way up there because my mom had to give her something and we wanted to introduce her to my sister’s boyfriend, Sam! We brought her a plate of Lamb too by the way.
Anyway, I didn’t know lamb was on the tender side so I covered them with aluminum foil and baked them for like an hour then took them out once the potatoes were fork tender.
And when I say, it was a hit… that’s exactly what it was. My mom tried them and always lost her mind at how good they were. Sam look like he was in heaven, and I was just happy to have made them right.
A whole lot has happened since creating this recipe… I started a YouTube channel, Phillyboyjaycookingshow in 2014 which became a major success… I created this website in 2016.
I went onto create a whole lot more recipes and cooking videos but the one thing I didn’t do, was make a recipe out of this delicious meal I made or upload a video on how to make it to YouTube.
I think I took so long because there are simply so many other recipes I like and love more and because I didn’t know if people would even be interested in smothered lamb chops.
It’s just one of those meals I put my foot in and never entertained again! I dont even think I made it again until this year.
Recipe changes and modifications
When I remembered how good it taste I decided to put numbers to it to make an actual recipe out of it and while doing that I decided to get fancy and add another ingredient, white whine.
Another thing I did was eliminated the butter, I just felt it was unneeded especially since lamb is already a pretty greasy meat and produces a lot of fat on it’s own.
I also shortened the cooking time… I made it recently and my sister said the lamb was kind of chewy and overcooked. She visits a lot of restaurants, is a big fan of lamb, and cooks pretty well herself.
So I said ok, since she eats lamb a lot and knows more about it than me, I’ll try to reduce the cooking time and it seems to have the perfect bite now and taste better than before.
Another thing I do differently is I cook them in a skillet now. It’s nothing wrong with cooking them in a casserole dish, I just prefer cooking over the stove instead of baking things because it get the kitchen too hot and is a quicker option.
Cookware and utensils:
Ok so let’s talk about the cooking utensils and cookware you’re going to need for this recipe and there’s only a few so don’t worry! Lol! First decide if you’re going to bake them or cook them in a skillet.
- Baking: If you’re baking them you’re obviously going to need a Casserole Dish to bake them in. That’s pretty much the only cookware you’ll need if you decide to bake them.
- Skillet: Ok so if you’re following the recipe to a T and cooking this using a skillet, you’re obviously going to need a Large Skillet With A Lid, a Tong to flip the lamb chops, and a Big Spoon to stir the vegetables.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Lollipop lamb chops
- Yellow or Red Potatoes
- Onions
- Peppers
- Celery
- Broth or water
- Apple cider vinegar
- White wine
- Flour
- Seasonings
Vegetables and potatoes
- The Potatoes: So I always use either red or Yukon gold potatoes, which is a multi-purpose potato. Red potatoes are waxy, high moisture potatoes, which is perfect for this dish because they can cook for a long time without drying out.
Whenever you make a recipe with potatoes in it you have to be mindful of the many different type of potatoes and how differently they react to eat and also, which potato is best for different meals.
For example, An Idaho Russet potato, which is very starchy and low in moisture, dries out fast due to its low moisture content, which makes it perfect for making potato chips.
The reason is you want the potatoes to dry out and become crisp; red potatoes, which are high in moisture, will remain moist and won’t get nice and crispy, which is the way you want your potato chips.
But red and Russet potatoes are on two different sides of the spectrum: red waxy and high in moisture, and Russets starchy and low in moisture. Yukon Gold are in the middle making them the perfect potato because they can be used for anything. - Onions, Peppers, and Celery: These are the vegetables I chopped and added to my baked lamb chops the first time I made them and the combo worked perfectly. Sort of the same vegetables we use for a typical stew right?
I typically use white or yellow onions, and far as the peppers go, I like to use green and red although when I first made this recipe I used every color pepper that exist because my mom just had them laying there so I said why not.
There isn’t much of a difference in taste, except for green peppers which are completely ripped. There’s a noticeable difference in taste, but you can use every color or just one. It doesn’t matter as long as green is a part of the equation and you’re sticking with the same amount.
Seasonings + alternatives
You might be wondering what seasonings do I use to season lambchops. Well let me get into that now and also give you a few alternatives for the seasonings that have some.
- Salt: Salt is obviously for taste… any seasoning with salt in it is not just to provide flavor but taste. Other seasonings like seasoning salt and adobo are are alternatives if you don’t have any salt.
- Paprika: Paprika, paprika, paprika…. people always ask why I use it on my food and it’s mainly for color… it adds color to your food and flavor as well, a mild spicy flavor but I mainly use it for color.
- Black Pepper: As I always say, pepper adds a hint of spice that makes food so so much better. If you need an alternative to black pepper… ahhh, white pepper?? I use white pepper to season light colored food.
- Minced Garlic: You can minced some garlic cloves in a blender if you dont have minced garlic. I actually have a recipe on how to make homemade minced garlic
About the gravy
Ok so for the gravy we’ll be making it using the slurry method. The slurry method is the simplest way of making gravy because you just need two ingredients, a liquid and a thickener.
Liquid: So the liquid we’ll be using is water since we’ll be also adding apple cider vinegar and white cooking wine to the liquid. On other occasions I frequently use a broth.
Example: When I making gravy for a baked chicken dish I’ll use chicken broth to give the gravy a chicken flavor, for baked turkey wings and gravy I’ll use turkey broth and if I’m making steak and gravy ill use beef broth.
Thickener: In this recipe the thickener we’ll be using is all purpose flour. All purpose flour is the most common thickener for gravy although cornstarch is frequently used. However, cornstarch gives gravy a different texture and shine.
How to make pan-seared smothered lamb chops and potatoes
- Brush the lamb chops with olive oil, then season them with majority of the seasonings. I like to measure all my seasonings first then add them to a small bowl or shot glass
- Chop up the vegetables into small to medium size pieces and chop you potatoes once in half. The vegetables dont have to be small or uniformed, just chop them all up.
- Sautee the vegetables in some oil over medium high heat, then sear the lamb chops until brown on each side then sit aside.
- If there’s any remnants in the skillet, scoop it out or clean the skillet, then place it back over the stove over medium heat this time.
- In a bowl, combine the water, vinegar, wine, and flour then stir well until it dissolves and you can no longer see the flour.
- Add the lamb chops, potatoes and vegetables back to the skillet, followed by the slurry.
- Cover with a lid leaving a crack on the side and let it simmer for an hour or until the gravy thickens and the potatoes are nice and tender.
Cooking alternatives
How to make it in the oven: Ok so what I love about this dish is you can bake or cook it on the stove in a skillet. The only thing I do different when using a casserole dish is, I dont sear and sautee the lamb and vegetables.
Other than that, I season them the same and cook them under aluminum foil for an hour then uncovered for 30 mins. I also use less
Tips for best results:
- Remove burnt bits after searing: If there’s any burnt bits or remnants in the skillet after you sear the lamb chops, remove them because it will diminish the taste of the gravy.
- Monitor them as they cook: Check the lamb chops every 15 minutes and move them around and stir the gravy with a spatula or big spoon especially during the last 20 minutes of cooking because it tends to stick.
Ok so that’s it for now… I really hope yall enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Leave a comment below letting viewers know what your experience was like trying this recipe. And make sure to subscribe to my blog so you get notified everytime I post a new recipe.
Also, stay in touch with me on social media to stay updated on everything philly jay cooking and everything I got going on. Here’s my social media handles: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, which is good for visual learners.
Enjoy, later!
PBJ~
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Pan Seared Smothered Lamb Chops And Potatoes
Description
Tender, juicy, pan-seared lamb chops simmered in a tangy, savory gravy with onions, peppers, celery, and gold potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Lollipop Lamb Chops
- 1/2 Lb Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 1/4 Cup Onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Green Peppers, finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Red Peppers, finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Celery, finely chopped
- 2 Tsps Minced Garlic
- 1–1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Garlic
- 1 Tsp Onion
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 Tsp Thyme
- 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
- Parsley
- For The Gravy
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup White Cooking Wine
- 3 Tbs All Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Season the lamb chops with half of the seasonings.
- Chop the vegetables into small pieces.
- Chop the potatoes in half.
- In a bowl, combine the broth, vinegar, wine, and flour until well dissolved.
- Place skillet over medium-high heat and add in the butter.
- Add in the butter, vegetables, and minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, then remove.
- Add in the olive oil, and the lamb chops, and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes, then sit aside.
* Remove any burnt bits or remnants that may be left in the skillet or clean it out* - Add the lamb chops, vegetables, and potatoes to the skillet.
- Add in the slurry and cover with a lid leaving a crack on the side.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until tender, about an hour.
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