Lovers' Lamb Chops with Cherry Reduction

I used to make this recipe with a whole leg of lamb, but then…. I had kids. Do I have four hours to prep and cook a valentine’s day meal? Nope! Enter: lamb chops. They cook in just a few minutes, and they’re still delicious. The thing that actually takes the longest is the sauce, but it’s nice that you can make that while the lamb chops are sitting so it feels efficient. Or, you can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time and then just reheat it on the stove.

Ingredients

8 lamb chops, about ½ inch thick (approximately 2 pounds)

1 ½ tbl olive oil

1 tbl honey, heated

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup mint

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Oil for cooking

For the cherry reduction

3 cups pitted chopped cherries (I used to actually pit fresh cherries. Who does that? Use frozen cherries and thaw them in the microwave.)

1 ½ cups full bodied red wine (shiraz, zinfandel, cabernet)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbl butter

Step 1

Get a babysitter, or, as a special treat, set your kids in front of an iPad to watch Frozen.

Step 2

Warm honey in microwave in glass bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, mint, salt, and pepper and stir until combined. Rub all over the lamb chops and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Step 3

While the chops are sitting, prepare the reduction. Sauté the shallot in the 2 tbl butter for about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for another minute, then add the cherries and wine. Simmer over medium-low heat until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 20-30 minutes.

Step 4

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a tiny bit of oil. Add the lamb chops. Sear on one side for about 2 minutes, then flip over and sear the other side for another 3 minutes (I like them medium rare. You can cook another 30 seconds or so for medium – they cook fast!)

Step 5

Serve the lamb chops with the cherry reduction drizzled over the top. Happy Valentine’s Day!