Hello!

I have to come clean here, I’ve never really been a fan of the lamb chop on the braai… That is, until we moved into our new home, befriended the best neighbours ever and braaid a lot – now I’m a huge fan!

These lamb chops are different from the ‘gourmet’ kind you might find in a nice restaurant – they are most definitely not pink in the middle… 

No, my dear friends, these are old-school, South African-style ‘skaaptjoppies oppie kole’ {translated: lamb chops on the barbecue}.

So, what is the secret to the best chops ever? Well, it’s actually quite simple – don’t try and be fancy – less is more, especially in this case:

 

You need only 3 things for The Most Amazing Lamb Chops:

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Fine salt

White pepper

And of course, lamb chops – I would recommend the back chops

An hour or so before cooking {and it HAS to be on a braai – Big Green Egg or Weber or old-school open coals}, squeeze lemon juice all over the chops, on both sides.
Sprinkle very liberally with fine salt {don’t worry about it being too salty – it won’t be, trust me.} and a bit of white pepper.
Cover with cling wrap until you’re ready to cook.

If you have a braai with a temperature gauge, get the coals to about 160C.

Cook at 160C, turning them every 10 minutes x4 {40 minutes total cooking time} until they’re nice and crispy and golden. 
The key is to render the fat and get it golden brown.

 

Serve with this salad:

Mixed baby lettuce

Handful steamed green beans

Fresh baby pea shoots

Toasted almond flakes {toast in a dry pan}

Freshly squeezed orange juice {one half}

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Capers

Layer the baby lettuce and green beans and add the pea shoots on top.
Scatter the almonds over the top.
Mix the orange juice, a splash of red wine vinegar and a good glug of olive oil with a tbs of capers and drizzle over the salad.

Enjoy! x

{P.S. My husband said my lamb chops were better than his – ha!}