Persian Fusion Lamb Chops

This recipe I stumbled upon one day when I had lamb meat in the fridge and was looking for something interesting to do with it. This marinade and spice rub brings out the typical flavors of Persian cuisines such as saffron, mint, lime, and so much more, all in a little crunchy coating on the already delicious lamb meat. It does require quite a few ingredients, but if you have some of those laying around try it out...

INGREDIENTS

Marinade Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsps fresh lemon juice
½ cup yogurt
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ med onion, chop finely
2 tbsp ground peppercorn
1 tsp fine sea salt
12 1-inch-thick loin lamb chops, fat trimmed

Spice Rub

2 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
½ tsp finely ground saffron
½  med onion, chop finely

3 garlic cloves, minced
¼  cup breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp wine

METHOD

1.       Place lamb in a single layer in a glass casserole dish (13 x 9)

2.       Pour marinade over the lamb, cover with foil and refrigerate for about 4-24 hours. Make sure to turn the lamb a couple of times.

3.       Remove from the marinade and season with salt and pepper

4.       Blend all additional spices to powder in a small food processor.

5.       Combine with remaining spice rub ingredients to form a paste.

6.       Rub and pack about 2-3 tbsp of the spice rub onto each rack.

7.     Cover and grill for 15min in broil setting (500F).