Lamb Chops

These are my smoked pistachio and cheese crusted lamb chops. You want to smoke this with a fruit wood, cherry, apple. Hard woods will give a harsher taste on lamb. Cook to 130 for medium, 125 for medium rare, 120 for rare, and 150 if you hate your guest for well done. One Rack feeds two people.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Trim lamb chops as desired. Minimally, take the silver skin off the top section

Step 2

Season with salt and pepper and sear in screaming hot iron skillet until golden brown, no more than 30 seconds, you don't want to cook the chops

Step 3

Set chops aside and make pistachio topping. Start by adding pistachios to the food processor and blending them until its a chunky powder. There shouldn't be much in the way of whole nuts. Remove from food processor.

Step 4

Add a 50/50 mix of ground pistachios and the cheese to the food processor and blend together. It should be clumpy.

Step 5

Add olive oil to the mix one table spoon at a time until it sticks together.

Step 6

Cover the chops in mustard, this is to bind the topping and won't be for taste. Stick the pistachio mix onto the chops, careful for it not to fall off.

Step 7

Add to smoker or oven at 300° F and cook until the chops are between 128° and 130°, any longer and you'll over cook them.

Step 8

Let chops rest in open air for 10 minutes exactly, then serve. Resting too long or too short will result in over or under cooked chops.