Honey garlic lamb chops
- Preparation 10 min
- Refrigeration 3 h
- Cooking 10 min
- Servings 4
Ads
🐑 Lamb, my favorite protein. Quebec lamb in particular
Lamb is honestly my favorite protein. I’ve always been a huge fan of lamb chops, and after testing lamb from several regions, I can tell you with certainty that **Quebec lamb is incomparable**. Western Canadian lamb (Calgary, Alberta) is very good too, but Quebec lamb has a quality and taste that is really night and day. However, avoid lamb from New Zealand or Australia which tastes much more like goat or hay. It’s a more pronounced taste that often puts people off. Often, people who tell me they don’t like lamb, it’s because they haven’t yet tasted Quebec lamb. For this Quebec lamb chops recipe with honey and garlic, aim for small producers in Montreal’s suburbs. Their prices are much more affordable than Montreal butcher shops where prices climb quickly. If you can’t find any, get a lamb rack at the grocery store and trust yourself.
🍯 Three tricks for perfectly medium-rare lamb chops
First trick, the most important: NEVER overcook lamb chops. It’s a noble meat that becomes disgusting if overcooked. Dry and rubbery. Personally, I like them medium-rare, nice and pink in the center. Aim for 140°F (60°C) with a meat thermometer, but take them off the BBQ at 137°F (58°C) so they reach the right temperature during the 5 minutes of rest under aluminum foil. Second trick: don’t marinate for more than one night. The ideal range is 3 hours to 12 hours maximum. Beyond that, the acidity from the lemon and wine starts to attack the fibers and the texture becomes mushy. Third trick: separate the marinade into TWO parts. Half to marinate the chops in the fridge, the other half untouched for basting during cooking. Never use marinade that has touched raw meat on meat that’s cooking.
🌟 The recipe to impress without effort
These Quebec lamb chops with honey and garlic are exactly the kind of recipe that breaks from the classic steak and makes your guests say “wow”. Perfect for a chic summer BBQ, a romantic dinner (make sure beforehand that your date likes lamb), a birthday or a Saturday night when you want to impress without spending three hours in the kitchen. The honey-garlic-thyme-Dijon combo with good white wine in the marinade creates a glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the BBQ. True story: I once cooked this recipe for a friend who swore to me she didn’t like lamb. At the first bite, she fell in love with Quebec lamb. Never challenge me on this. I’ve won every time.
Ads
🐑 Quebec lamb, the absolute must
Quebec lamb has an incomparable taste compared to New Zealand or Australian lamb which tastes much more like goat or hay. If you live in Montreal, make the effort to go to a small producer in the suburbs. Prices are much more affordable than Montreal butcher shops. Otherwise, grocery store lamb rack does the job, or western Canadian lamb (Calgary, Alberta) which is also very good.
🌡️ Medium-rare at 140°F on the thermometer
Lamb doesn’t forgive overcooking. Personally, I like them medium-rare, nice and pink in the center. Aim for 140°F (60°C) with a meat thermometer, but take the chops off the BBQ at 137°F (58°C). The temperature will rise 3-4°F during rest under aluminum foil to reach perfection. Without a thermometer, you’re playing roulette.
⏱️ Marinade: 3 hours to 12 hours, never more
3 hours to one night is the ideal range for this marinade. Beyond that, the acidity from lemon and white wine starts to attack the lamb fibers and the texture becomes mushy. You lose the noble side of the meat. If you’re short on time, 90 minutes does an acceptable job, but aim for 3 hours minimum when you can plan ahead.
🍷 Dry white wine you’d want to drink
The golden rule for wine recipes: a dry white wine you’d drink in a glass. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris. All work. Avoid sweet or low-grade wines. Pour half a cup in the marinade, finish the rest in your glass while the chops marinate.
🌿 FRESH thyme, not dried if possible
Fresh thyme is mandatory for this recipe. Its profile is completely different from dried. If you really only have dried thyme, use about 2 teaspoons (instead of the 2 tablespoons of fresh). The conversion rule is 3:1 (fresh:dried). But fresh remains the best.
🍯 Local Quebec honey, why not funky
I love local Quebec honeys. If you want to be funky, try with wildflower or clover honey. Each type brings a different note that subtly changes the marinade’s profile. Classic commercial honey does the job, but local artisanal honey gives a superior dimension.
🔀 Separate the marinade in TWO
Food safety rule: never brush cooked meat with marinade that has touched raw meat. Separate the marinade into two equal parts from the start. Half for marinating, half untouched for basting during cooking. Stop basting 2 minutes before the end so the glaze finishes its caramelization.
🍁 Optional twist: maple syrup or lemon zest
To push the recipe even further, add a tablespoon of dark maple syrup to the marinade for additional Quebec caramelized side, or the zest of half a lemon to amplify freshness. Both work magnificently with the honey-garlic-thyme profile.
🥪 Leftovers: sandwich, salad, or gnaw the bone
If you have leftover chops, reheat them GENTLY (otherwise they become a boot sole). You can also remove the meat from the bone, shred it and use it in a sandwich, warm salad, or simply gnaw the bone like a pirate. Scrape everything, that’s where the best pieces hide.
✅ What to serve with my Quebec lamb chops with honey and garlic?
This quintessential summer recipe goes magnificently with roasted fingerling potatoes, my salade de roquette au balsamique blanc for the fresh side that balances the richness of lamb, or my Italian sausages, dried tomatoes and arugula risotto for a more hearty meal. To push the Mediterranean side all the way, add my Rack of lamb with salted herbs and mustard as a second meat for a total lamb feast.
Ads
Ingredients
- 8 Quebec lamb chops about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick
- ½ cup (125 ml) good quality dry white wine
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) honey
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus extra for serving
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Fleur de sel (for serving)
Ads
Preparation
- Place the lamb chops in a large resealable bag.
- In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour half of the marinade into the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible. Mix to coat well. Reserve the meat and remaining marinade in the fridge for 3 hours.
- Preheat the barbecue to maximum power, then reduce to medium power. Oil the grill.
- Remove the chops from the marinade and drain. Place the chops on the barbecue grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the meat is cooked but still pink. Brush with the reserved fresh marinade during cooking.
- Place the chops on a plate and cover with aluminum foil, sealing it tightly around the edge of the plate. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme, sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve.
Quebec lamb has an incomparable taste compared to New Zealand or Australian lamb which tastes much more like goat or hay. The quality and taste are really night and day. Western Canadian lamb (Calgary, Alberta) is also very good. If you don’t have access to a small Quebec producer, grocery store lamb rack does the job for this Quebec lamb chops recipe with honey and garlic.
140°F (60°C) with a meat thermometer for ideal medium-rare. Lamb nice and pink in the center. Take the chops off the BBQ at 137°F (58°C), the temperature will rise 3-4°F during the 5-minute rest under aluminum foil to reach perfection. Lamb doesn’t forgive overcooking: overcooked, it becomes dry and rubbery.
3 hours to 12 hours (one night) maximum. Beyond that, the acidity from lemon and white wine starts to attack the lamb fibers and the texture becomes mushy. If you’re short on time, 90 minutes does an acceptable job, but aim for 3 hours minimum for the marinade to penetrate the meat well without denaturing it.
Yes, but the result will be different. Fresh thyme has a more delicate and aromatic profile. If you use dried, apply the 3:1 conversion rule. About 2 teaspoons of dried instead of the 2 tablespoons of fresh. Fresh thyme remains my first choice for this recipe if you have the possibility.
For a chic summer BBQ, serve my Quebec lamb chops with honey and garlic with roasted fingerling potatoes, my salade de roquette au balsamique blanc for freshness, or my risotto aux saucisses italiennes, tomates séchées et roquette for a more hearty meal. For a total lamb feast, add my carré d’agneau aux herbes salées et à la moutarde as a second meat.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads