Hearty Lamb Chops With Couscous

There’s nothing like hearty lamb chops on a chilly night — they’re a pleasant departure from beef and chicken and, surprisingly, just as easy to cook.

Ingredients

for 4 servings

DRY RUB

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons McCormick® Hearty Spice Blend
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

LAMB CHOPS

• 2 lb lamb chop(1 kg)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

MARINADE

• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Hearty Spice Blend
• 5 garlics, minced
• 2 orange zests
• 2 oranges

YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 orange zest
• 1 orange juice
• ½ cup fresh mint(25 g), finely chopped
• 1 cup full-fat yogurt(245 g)
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Hearty Spice Blend
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COUSCOUS

• 1 ¼ cups chicken broth(300 mL)
• 1 tablespoon butter, or olive oil
• 1 pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup couscous(200 g)
• 2 pitted dates, chopped
• olive oil, to taste
• ¼ cup fresh parsley(10 g), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
• toasted pine nut, for serving

Preparation

1. Make the dry rub: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, Hearty spice blend, and pepper.
2. On a large plate, sprinkle the lamb chops evenly on both sides with the dry rub. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, mix together the Hearty spice blend, garlic, orange zest, and orange juice.
4. Place seasoned lamb chops in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over. Let marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. If the marinade doesn’t completely cover the lamb chops, flip halfway through.
5. While the lamb chops are marinating, make the yogurt sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, mint, yogurt, Hearty spice blend, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
6. Make the couscous: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the chicken stock, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, then pour in the couscous, remove from heat, and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the dates, and cover again to keep warm. If the couscous seems dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and mix. Set aside.
7. Cook the lamb chops: Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
8. Remove the lamb chops from marinade, set on a plate, and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
9. Carefully add a few of the lamb chops to the skillet, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is achieved and the lamb chops have a nice brown sear on the outside but are still tender in the center. The internal temperature should read 145˚F (63˚C) for medium-rare. Remove the lamb chops from the pan and repeat with remaining lamb chops.
10. Just before serving, fold the parsley and chives into the couscous.
11. To serve, spoon the couscous onto plates and add a few lamb chops. Spoon the yogurt sauce the over lamb chops and top with toasted pine nuts.
12. Enjoy!