Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops

Ingredients

• 1 pound lamb chops
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Directions

1. Before you begin, choose how cooked you want the lamb chops to be. For chops that stay rare in the middle, the stovetop is enough from start to finish. If you prefer them cooked a little further, and you’re using double rib chops, with 2 ribs in each piece of meat and each piece about 1/4 of a pound, plan to finish them briefly in a 400 degrees F oven for a few minutes. You can also take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let the residual heat do the work for a few minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Rub that mixture all over the lamb chops, using your fingers to work it into the meat. For double rib chops, cover them and leave them at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
3. For single rib chops that you’d like rare, keep them in the refrigerator while they sit with the rub. Don’t bring them to room temp, because the thinner ribs can cook past rare very quickly once they hit the hot pan.
4. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-proof sauté pan over high heat. Once the oil looks very hot and shimmery, brown the lamb chops on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. If you’re cooking single rib chops and want them rare or medium rare, sear them on only two sides, for just a minute or so on each side.
6. At this stage, rare lamb chops will probably be done. Transfer them out of the pan, tent them with foil, and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
7. For chops you want cooked a bit more, move the pan to a 400 degrees F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or leave the chops in the hot pan, take it off the heat, and cover the pan for a few minutes. After that, transfer the chops to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil, and rest them for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.