Crusty Lamb Shoulder Chops

Spice crusted lamb shoulder chops with greek yogurt dipping sauce. Served with creamy green bean salad for the ultimate keto meal prep for the week.

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lamb shoulder chops recipe

This is some hearty low carb meal prep that is big on flavor. The lamb shoulder chops are very versatile, you can either cook them like a steak, or slow cook them for 2 hours. For this keto meal prep recipe, I spice crust the lamb and cook them in a hot cast iron pan. The lamb should chops get so crusty on the outside and cook through perfectly. I serve them with a crunchy green bean salad loaded with veggies and tossed in a dairy free tahini dressing.

How To Make Lamb Shoulder Chops

Lamb shoulder chops are a very versatile cut and perfect for the keto diet, because they have lots of yummy fat. You can either braise them for 2 hours or cook them just like you would a steak. The first thing you want to do is season the lamb with a spice rub made with smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. That little bit of cinnamon will add such a great depth of flavor.

Allow the lamb shoulder chops to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, cold meat in a hot pa will cook unevenly. Pre-heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the lamb and allow to cook for 6 minutes undisturbed. You will have to do this in two batches, as to not overcrowd the pan. Flip and let the lamb cook another 6 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 150 F.

While the lamb is cooking, make the greek yogurt sauce by combining full fat greek yogurt with lemon juice, dill, salt, olive oil, and you can even grate 1 clove of garlic in. Check for seasoning and set aside. Once the lamb shoulder chops are done, allow them to rest for 5 minutes before cutting int them. The recipe makes enough for 5 servings of meal prep for the week.

lamb shoulder chops
Spice crusted lamb shoulder chop meal prep

What To Serve With Lamb Shoulder Chops

To stick in the Mediterranean theme, I made these crunchy green beans with lots of veggies tossed in a creamy tahini dressing. First, you need to blanch the green beans of salted boiling water. You only want to do this for 3 minutes, and then immediately drain and place the green beans in a ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Make the tahini dressing by adding it to a bowl along with lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and water. Whisk well and add enough water to make the dressing loose and pour-able. The dressing is dairy free, but still creamy and rich.

Toss the green beans with sunflower seeds, olives, orange peppers, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and pour over enough dressing to coat. Mix well and check for seasoning.

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lamb shoulder chops recipe

Spiced Lamb Shoulder Chops with Green Bean Salad

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5 meals
Author: Bobby Parrish
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Ingredients

For the lamb:

  • 5-10 lamb shoulder chops
  • 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Veggie or grape seed oil
  • Kosher salt

For the yogurt dipping sauce:

  • ½ cup whole fat Greek style yogurt
  • Zest & juice of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons freshly chopped dill
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Couple cracks of fresh black pepper

For the green beans:

  • 1 pound of haricot vert or green beans
  • 2 tablespoons each of raw & unsalted sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives sliced
  • 1 small red hot chile or jalepeno pepper thinly sliced
  • ½ cup orange peppers diced
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes quartered lengthwise
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper

For the salad dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons of tahini
  • Zest & juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Couple cracks of fresh black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook’s Notes: Lamb should chops, aka blade chops, are the perfect cut for keto meal prep because they have lots of yummy fat and can be cooked just like a steak. They can contain bones and some tendons, which is why I recommend eating 2 chops if you are training or looking to bulk up.
  2. Lamb shoulder chops are best when cooked btwn 150-160 F. The cooking time below is pretty reliable but I recommend you buy a digital probe thermometer, it’s great for chops, roasts, and thick cut meats. I have a link to the one I use below the recipe.
  3. Begin cooking:
  4. For the lamb shoulder chops, make the spice rub by combining the smoked paprika and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. If making 10 chops, you will need to double the spice rub quantities. Season the lamb chops with a generous pinch of spice rub and salt on both sides. Add a little more salt than you think you need, the chops are thick and need the salt. Let the chops sit at room temperature for 20 minutes so the marinade can infuse flavor, plus you never want to cook cold meat.
  5. Meanwhile, start the green bean salad by bringing a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the boiling water and carefully add all of the green beans or haricot vert. As soon as the beans go in the water, set a timer for 2.5 minutes. While they are cooking, fill a large bowl with a bunch of ice and then add cold water. After 2.5 minutes, immediately strain the beans and get them in the ice water asap. Move the beans around the ice water using your hands and keep in the ice bath for 1 minute, or until the beans are cold. Remove beans and allow them to drain very well before adding to a large clean bowl.
  6. Add the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and next 5 ingredients to the bowl with the beans and set aside. Make the dressing by combining everything except the water in a small bowl, mix well. Add just enough water to make the dressing pourable and whisk well. Check for seasoning, you may need a little more lemon juice. To make the salad last 5 days, store the dressing and bean salad separately in the fridge and only dress a single portion the day you want to eat it. Add a small pinch of salt and pepper to the bean salad and coat with just enough dressing, mix well.
  7. To cook the lamb shoulder chops, pre-heat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes along with 2 tablespoons of veggie or grape seed oil. Add 3-4 chops to the pan and press down for 3 seconds so they make maximum contact with the pan. Cook for 6 minutes and flip, making sure not to touch the chops once they go in the pan. Cook 6 more minutes and remove from pan. Repeat with the next batch of chops. It is very important not to overcrowd the pan, or the chops won’t get crusty, so you need t work in batches. If eating the chops immediately, allow the cooked chops to rest for 5-7 minutes so the juices can re-distribute.
  8. While the chops are cooking, making the yogurt sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisking well. Check for seasoning, you want the flavors to be lemony and herby, so add more lemon juice or dill if needed.
  9. The cooked lamb shoulder chops will keep in the fridge for 5 days or can be frozen for 2-3 months. My preferred method of re-heating is to remove the meal prep lid, cover with tin foil, drizzle over a shot of olive oil, and heat in a 400 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes. If you re-heat in a microwave, drizzle with a shot of olive oil, cover the container with a wet paper towel, and make sure not to heat it too long or you will dry out the lamb. The salad can not be frozen and will keep for 5 days in the fridge, make sure to store the dressing separate from the salad. Enjoy!
  10. Each 8 ounce lamb shoulder chop has 400 calories, 34.4 grams of fat, and 34 grams of protein

Recipe Notes

Marcos:
644 calories per meal
57.6 grams of fat per meal
14 grams of carbs per meal
52 grams of protein per meal
6.2 grams of fiber per meal

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