Lamb Arm Chops with Porcini Mushrooms and Rosemary

Our last evening in Los Angeles was spent with my (Hayley) wonderful grandfather, and his good friend Stacie. We started our trip with an amazing dinner cooked by Stacie, and we ended our trip with an amazing dinner cooked by Stacie. We were really looking forward to not only another delicious meal, but also to another inspirational dinner conversation with Stacie. Our entire trip was so incredibly magical in ways that we could never have imagined, and we felt that the best way to complete that wonderful journey was to start where we left off: at the dinner table of one of the most inspiring people we have met.

Stacie’s passion for food inpsired me in so many ways. So often, especially when living an alternative lifestyle devoted to eating as best as you can for your body, it is easy to get caught up in “the story” of how we should be eating, and you lose the love and passion for good food, amazing smells, colorful flavors, and all the beauty that is food. Being around her allowed me to step back, take a deep breath, and give up that feeling of “needing control” around eating. For the first time in my life I wanted to experience food and just enjoy it, without the background chatter in my mind telling me what I should and shouldn’t be eating. If I were more poetic, or possibly even just a better writer, I think I could express my feelings more. What I’m trying to say is that for the first time, I was truly able to see food as art, a gift, something magical, and something for which we should all be more grateful.

For our last dinner with Stacie and my grandfather, we enjoyed lamb chops baked in a crust of fresh rosemary and dried porcini mushrooms. Bill and I both love lamb (clearly, since we drove halfway to Cleveland to buy an entire lamb), so we were really looking forward to this meal. It was as amazing as it smelled, and looked. The gorgeous little chops came sizzling out of the oven with a golden crust of porchini mushroom and minced rosemary. At first bite, we knew we had to recreate this dish. We had two lamb arm chops from US Wellness Meats awaiting our arrival back home, and we finally had the perfect recipe inspiration for these delicious looking chops.

[Ingredients]

2 Lamb arm chops
1-2 sprigs rosemary, minced
.5 oz dried porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

[Process]

Preheat oven to bake at 375.
Combine mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper on cutting board.
Rinse chops under cool water, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Lightly drizzle each side of the chops with olive oil.
Press both sides of chops into mushroom and herb mixture to evenly coat, and place on a broiler pan.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes a side, flipping once.

[Printer-friendly recipe – click here]

This was the first time we had ever had “lamb arm” chops, and let me tell you, they were amazing. Another score from US Wellness Meats. We have yet to try a cut of meat from them that isn’t delicious. Our recreation of Stacie’s dish was perfect for these chops. This meal is one that will always bring back amazing memories.

As always, enjoy!