Prick Lamb Chops With A Fork Before Marinating For More Flavorful Results

Though it may never reach the top of anyone's list of favorite grilled meats, lamb chops are nevertheless one of the best meats to throw on the grate. Chops can come from multiple sections of the lamb, like the lion, ribs, sirloin, and shoulder. The shoulder is of particular value as these chops require less cooking time, are affordable, and pack a lot of flavor. But one of the ways in which you can jam even more flavor into a lamb chop is to prick it with a fork.

Take your lamb chops, and, using a regular fork, proceed to lightly prick the meat on all sides. You can then soak the chops in a marinade for about 15 minutes. The lamb doesn't need a long marinating time because you've poked the meat with the fork tendrils. This created channels in the meat, which allowed the marinade to penetrate inside the chop and flavor it thoroughly.

It is an easy trick to pull off as it literally requires no special tools. Just an average piece of flatware. While it is all well and good to prepare your lamb chops to take on flavor quickly, the real question is what marinades should you be using to get that great flavor.

As with any meat, there are certain ingredients that really work great for flavoring lamb marinades. Milk is an excellent option if you're not a fan of lamb's gamey flavor. A marinade of milk helps offset the gamey smell and flavor of the lamb chops, while also tenderizing the meat.

However, if you like the gamey aspect of lamb, veer away from milk. There are plenty of other ingredients you use that will really make the lamb pop. Some popular ones are thyme, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and salt. Mixed with some olive oil, you can really get the aromatics into the meat of the lamb thanks to the pinpricks made by the fork. Another ingredient that goes well with lamb is feta cheese. Getting some Grecian flavors going is great with lamb because it is so prized in that part of the world. Feta brine works very well for making chicken breast with moisture and tangy flavor. It will work wonders for lamb as well.

Plenty of other aromatics and liquids work with lamb too. Red wine, coriander, sage, oregano, basil, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Even anchovies and lemon juice work well. And thanks to the pin pricks you've made with the fork, they will all permeate and flavor the lamb so much more than if you just left the meat intact.