Lambpops

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This recipe is adapted from “Rack of Lamb with Goat Cheese Crust“ on page 267 of The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook & Guide by Paula Lambert.

Goat Cheese Crust

4 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (or panko crumbs are also good)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/4 tesp salt
Generous 1/2 oz Percorino Romano grated (about 2 heaping Tbls)
1 tesp freshly ground black pepper
Place 1 Tbl bread crumbs in a bowl, and add goat cheese, garlic, rosemary, egg yolk, and salt. Blend.  Put remaining bread/panko crumbs, Percorino Romano and black pepper in a bowl or flat dish and toss gently to combine. This make enough cheese-goo for about 6 single-rib chops.

Heat the oven to about 400F.

Lamb Pops

Get as many frenched lamb rib chops from the butcher as you need. You can pre-bake them a little (to 110F) if you prefer well-done lamb.

Holding the rib-bone end, use a spatula to coat or “paint” the meat of the chop, covering the sides with cheese. Dredge the chop with the crumb mixture. The rib-bone end you are holding, and the far boney end should still be naked.

When all chops are coated with cheese and crumbs, I put them in a round cake pan, the “thick boney end” down, and the naked rib bones making a teepee shape in the middle.

Bake the chops for about 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil, and brown the cheese mixture. This may take about 3 minutes, and you may need to move the chops up or down in the oven.
I like to eat lamb that’s really rare, so you might consider the pre-bake recommend by Lambert or letting the initial bake time go as long as 20 minutes if you prefer medium or well-done meat.

 I tried a version of the lambpops without breadcrumbs. (desperately hoping the atkins diet craze will go away) It was ok, but it did not brown as beautifully as previous versions. Tasted just as yummy as previous. I have also discovered that is you make the cheese mix the night before and put it in the fridge, you have to nuke it for 10 seconds because cold cheese-mix neither spreads nor sticks.