Roast Thick Lamb Chops with Roast Carrots and Parsnips
You’ll need lamb shoulder chops again for this great dinner dish, but, unlike the thin chops for skillet cooking, the right ones for roasting won’t be in the meat case. Don’t just pick up a package of thick-looking chops: ask the butcher to cut lamb shoulder chops expressly for you, each one 2 1/2 inches thick (or as close to that as possible). If he or she looks surprised, it’s because she’s never cut them that thick before. The chop size is unusual, but the meat is exactly the same as everyday thin chops—so make sure she gives you the same price! Thick chops are treated here like roasts, following my covered/uncovered roasting procedure. To shorten the roasting time, I divide each chop into two pieces. Still, the meat needs 90 minutes or more in the oven, typical of the long cooking all shoulder cuts need, to melt the connective tissue and fat, to extract the flavor of bones, and to soften the meat fibers. Bigger pork and beef shoulders will take twice as long as these lamb chops.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 or more
Ingredients
Recommended Equipment
Preparation
Setting Up the Roasting Pan
Step 1
Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven and, if possible, another rack in the top third, with enough space on both for the filled roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 425°.
Step 2
Trim most of the fat from the chops, leaving only a very thin layer on the outside surfaces. To divide each chop into two pieces, lay it on a flat, cut side so you can see the divisions of the muscles. On one side are muscles attached to rib and backbones; on the opposite are the muscles around the thin shoulder-blade bone. It is easy to see where to separate them, because thick ribs tend to break apart naturally between these muscles—cooperatively, in the middle. Pull with your fingers to separate the pieces; slice apart the small section of meat that may hold them together. Sprinkle the meat pieces on all sides with salt, and pat it on, using 1/2 teaspoon in all.
Step 3
Put all the cut vegetables, the herbs, porcini, and peppercorns in the pan. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the remaining teaspoon of salt over and toss and tumble everything together with your hands, distributing the seasonings and oiling all the pieces. Put the lamb pieces in with the vegetables, turn them in the pan, and rub them to coat with more olive oil. Arrange them several inches apart from each other, with vegetables all around, so they will cook and caramelize evenly. Pour the wine and a cup of broth (or water) into the pan; if necessary, add more broth or water to bring the liquid to 1/2-inch depth.
Step 4
Cover the pan with one or more long sheets of aluminum foil, arching the foil if necessary to keep it from touching the meat and vegetables. Crimp the foil around the rim of the pan, and press it tightly against the sides all around, sealing the lamb and vegetables in a tent.
Roasting, Covered and Uncovered
Step 5
Roast for 45 minutes, undisturbed, on the lower rack. Remove the pan, and carefully take off the foil; the pan juices should be bubbling away around the meat and vegetables. With tongs, turn over each piece of lamb as well as the vegetables.
Step 6
Place the pan on the upper oven rack, and roast for about 10 minutes, then turn the lamb pieces over. Roast 10 more minutes and turn again (tumbling the vegetables over too). Roast another 10 minutes, until the lamb is crusty brown all over and has shrunk back from the bones.
Caramelizing the Vegetables and Making the Sauce
Step 7
Remove from the oven, and transfer the lamb pieces to a bowl or platter—letting the juices drip back into the pan for a moment. Keep in a warm place, loosely covered with the foil sheet.
Step 8
Set a sieve over a saucepan, and carefully pour the juices out of the roasting pan, leaving the vegetables intact in the pan. It’s fine if the small seasonings go into the sieve, but you don’t want the vegetables to break. Pick out the bay leaves and discard. Spread the vegetables out in the pan—they will still be moist—and put them in the oven, on the high rack, to caramelize.
Step 9
Meanwhile, start the sauce: press the juices from any seasonings or solids in the sieve. Skim the fat off the surface of the juices, and set the saucepan over high heat. Bring the juices to a boil, and reduce them by about half, to a slightly syrupy consistency: you should have about 3/4 cup.
Step 10
After 5 minutes or so, check the roasting vegetables: turn them in the pan, and rotate the pan on the rack. Roast until the chunks have crisped on the sides and caramelized on the edges, checking and turning them frequently. If they haven’t colored nicely in 10 minutes, raise the oven temperature; if they appear dry, drizzle a bit of the sauce or olive oil over them.
Finishing and Serving
Step 11
While the vegetables are roasting, warm a serving platter (or plates). If you want, cut out the blade bone, which protrudes from the meat—just lift the cooked meat off it and remove the bone. Cut the meat off the rib pieces too, or leave them intact (for those who like gnawing bones).
Step 12
To serve family-style, heap the hot vegetables and meat on the serving platter and drizzle some of the sauce over. Or arrange a portion of vegetables in the center of a warm dinner plate, lay one of the lamb pieces on top, and moisten with sauce. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.
Serving Ideas . . .
Step 13
The vegetables roasted alongside the meat are ideal and delicious as an accompaniment. Some hot polenta (page 215) would be a good addition too.
Save the Vegetables! A Roasted Contorno to Eat with your Meat
Step 14
The way I roast, aromatic vegetables fill the pan to lend flavor to the meat during their hours together in the oven. Later, the vegetables are usually mashed and sieved to extract their juices, flavor, and rich pulp for the sauce. I sometimes hate to lose these sweet vegetables—if you’ve tasted a carrot or onion wedge that’s roasted with turkey or pork shoulder, you know what I mean. So I suggest you split the goods and use some to make sauce and save the rest as contorno, as I do in this recipe.
Step 15
You can do the same in any of the roasting recipes in this chapter. Follow these guidelines (and see the preceding lamb recipe for details):
Step 16
Increase the amount of sturdy root vegetables (or add them), such as carrots, parsnips, whole shallots, and rutabagas, as well as celery. Cut 3- or 4-inch-long wedges, evenly thick, at least 1/2 inch, or thicker if they must roast a long time. Short wedges cook through, look good, won’t break, and will caramelize on the edges too.
Step 17
Cut onions in wedges, but trim them so the layers remain attached at the root end and they don’t fall apart.
Step 18
Cook leeks whole. Use medium-thick leeks (1 1/2 inches); trim off tough leaves; wash thoroughly; trim the hairlike roots, but leave the root base that holds the leaves together. Do not cut the leek crosswise; split the leaves—but not the root end—lengthwise. When serving, slice off the root and cut into short lengths.
Step 19
Use thick, big celery stalks; peel to remove tough skin. Cut celery sticks about 1 inch wide, so they don’t fall apart.
Step 20
Caramelize the vegetables in the roasting pan after pouring out the pan juices for sauce. Roast them with the meat or by themselves. As detailed in the preceding lamb recipe, vegetables usually need more dry roasting than the meat, because they have been covered in liquid. Speed caramelization by raising the heat or the level of the roasting pan in the oven.
