You will love how quickly and easily you can prepare my Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Mint Pesto. Lamb cutlets are a tender, flavoursome cut of meat that cooks in a short time, making them ideal for busy nights. We have kept the Mediterranean inspired flavours simple, to complement but allow the lamb itself to shine through. The cutlets are coated with olive oil then seasoned with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano and lemon zest. A simple, bright, colourful mint pesto is the perfect accompaniment to the succulent lamb chops. Dinner is made easy with this recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- We use simple ingredients that are readily available.
- The minimal preparation required, and the quick cooking, makes the cutlets ideal for busy weeknights.
- You can customise the accompanying ingredients to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
- When it comes to a family dinner, a simple meal of Grilled Lamb Cutlets is homely and comforting.
- In fine weather, you can take this meal outdoors and cook the chops on the barbecue. They are guaranteed crowd pleasers!
- Cooked as per the recipe, the cutlets and pesto are naturally gluten-free.
Recipe Inspiration: this is a favourite family recipe that is quick to prepare and full of flavour. Their versatility means that you can serve the lamb with a variety of sauces, salads or vegetable dishes.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Frenched lamb cutlets – sometimes called lamb rib chops, they are a premium cut of meat, being tender and flavoursome. Frenched Lamb Cutlets have had all the fat and meat that covers the rib removed, exposing a clean white bone.
- Extra virgin olive oil - an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking, it adds great flavour to the lamb and the mint pesto. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Coarse cooking salt – we use sea salt to enhance the flavour of the cutlets as well as season the Mint Pesto.
- Black pepper – for the best flavour, we use freshly ground black pepper. It has a brighter flavour than pre-ground pepper.
- Lemon zest – the zest contains essence of lemon in its essential oils and is a great flavour booster. Be sure to zest the lemon before extracting juice.
- Dried oregano - unlike many other herbs, our preference is for the dried herb. The fresh herb is considerably more pungent, and the flavour may dominate.
- Fresh mint leaves – a traditional accompaniment to lamb, the mint adds bright, fresh flavour and is the base our Mint Pesto.
- Pine nuts – the lightly toasted nuts add delicious nutty, buttery flavour to the pesto.
- Garlic – our preference is for fresh garlic cloves. The flavours are brighter than processed/jarred garlic.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed, it adds flavour and acidity to the pesto.
- Parmesan cheese – choose a good quality cheese. I use Parmigiano Reggiano. Avoid pre-grated cheeses; they often contain additives.
Variations:
Grilled Lamb Cutlets – you could use lamb loin chops if you prefer. Cook them until they have an internal temperature of 63 degrees C (145 F). Depending on their thickness they are likely to take a little more time than the cutlets.
Dried oregano – fresh rosemary would be a good substitute. As dried herbs are concentrated, you would need 4 teaspoons of fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped.
How To Make Grilled Lamb Cutlets:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare ingredients for the mint pesto:
Wash the mint leaves in a small bowl of iced water and drain well. In a small food processor, add the mint, lemon juice, pine nuts and garlic. Process.
2 – Finish the pesto:
Add in the olive oil and process again, scraping down the sides. Add the parmesan cheese and process one more time. Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding a pinch of salt if necessary.
3 – Season the lamb chops:
Coat both sides of the lamb in oil and then add the seasonings to both sides. Let the lamb sit for about 20 minutes to come up to a cool room temperature.
4 – Grill the lamb chops:
Heat a ribbed grill pan or heavy based frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chops and cook for 3 minutes on one side and approximately 2 on the second side or until cooked to an internal temperature of 63 degrees C/145 F. When cooked, remove to a platter and set aside to rest for 2-3 minutes.
Hint: a meat thermometer is a valuable kitchen tool and will help ensure your lamb is cooked to your liking. Having the lamb cutlets at room temperature before cooking will ensure that the meat cooks more evenly. Allowing a few minutes to rest the meat after cooking allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more succulent and tender.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
A pan with a heavy base, such as cast iron or stainless steel, is essential for browning the cutlets as it will have more even heat distribution. The lamb may burn if cooked in a pan with a thin base.
To have tender, juicy cutlets, it is essential that they are not overcooked. The most accurate way to ensure that your meat is cooked to perfection is to use a thermometer and cook the meat to the temperature that we recommend. I consider a thermometer an essential kitchen accessory, and I use mine frequently. Otherwise, you can use the suggested cooking time as a guide, but it is not precise as the time will vary depending on the heat you use and the thickness of the chops.
Leftover cutlets are very tasty. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and enjoy them as a snack or remove the meat and add to a salad.
Top Tip:
When a recipe is as simple as this one, for the best result, use good quality ingredients. If you have not used pine nuts for a while, check that they are still within date as they will ruin the pesto if they are rancid.
As there are so few ingredients, I recommend that you buy good quality lamb cutlets and be sure to not overcook them.
Serving Suggestions:
The Lamb Cutlets are tender and flavoursome. Serve them with one or several of these options:
- Roasted Carrot Salad
- Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
- Roasted Red Pepper Salad
- Mediterranean Baked Beans
- Baked Mashed Potatoes
You will find yourself turning to this easy, flavour-filled recipe for Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Mint Pesto on a regular basis. It is likely to become a regular in your meal planning as it is so easy to make and certain to be popular.
Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!
Alex xx
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Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Mint Pesto
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Lamb Cutlets:
- 8 Frenched lamb cutlets – about 2–2.5 cm (¾-1 inch) thick See Note 1
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil See Note 2
- ½ teaspoon sea salt See Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest – finely grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Mint Pesto:
- 30 g (1 ½ cups) fresh mint leaves – loosely packed
- 35 g (¼ cup) pine nuts/pignoli – toasted in a dry pan for a couple of minutes, until a light golden brown
- 1 small garlic clove – roughly chopped
- 2-3 teaspoon lemon juice
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 20 g (¼ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese – loosely packed
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt - or to taste
Instructions
For the Lamb Cutlets:
- Coat the lamb in the oil both sides and then add the seasonings to both sides. Let the lamb sit for about 20 minutes to come up to a cool room temperature.
- Heat a ribbed grill pan or heavy based frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chops and cook for 3 minutes on one side and approximately 2 on the second side or until cooked to an internal temperature of 63 degrees C (145 F) or until your liking.
- When cooked, remove to a platter and set aside to rest for 2-3 minutes. Serve with the pesto.
For the Mint Pesto:
- Wash the mint leaves in a small bowl of iced water and drain well. (This will help to keep the vibrant green colour.)In a small food processor, add the mint, lemon juice, pine nuts and garlic. Process the mixture.Add in the olive oil and process again, scraping down the sides. Add in the Parmesan cheese and process one more time. Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding a pinch of salt if necessary.
Notes
- Frenched lamb cutlets: sometimes called lamb rib chops, they are a premium cut of meat, being tender and flavoursome. Frenched Lamb Cutlets have had all the fat and meat that covers the rib removed, exposing a clean white bone.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each tablespoon listed.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
- Storage: once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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