Last Updated on March 4, 2016

Makes 4 Servings
Hands-On Time: 9 to 15 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 44 to 50 Minutes

Suggested Accompaniments
Potato gratin
Sautéed spinach with garlic chips

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder chops (1/2 inch thick, either round bone or blade) or leg of lamb steaks
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if cooking in a skillet
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
4 T Steak Butter (recipe below) cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

Directions
1. Cut the lamb into 6 equal portions
2. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag; press in the garlic (about 2 teaspoons) and add the lamb. Seal the bag and knead until the chops are evenly coated with marinade. Set them aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a grill pan over high heat until hot. Remove the lamb from the bag, pat it very dry with paper towels and grill it ( you may need to do it in 2 batches) on the grill pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Or cook the lamb in olive oil in a skillet over high heat for 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer 4 lamb chop portions to 4 serving plates; top each chop with a tablespoon of the butter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, set them aside for 5 minutes, and then serve.
5. Meanwhile, transfer the remaining 2 lamb chop portions to a plate and set them aside, uncovered, to cool to room temperature. Then transfer them to a bowl (cover with plastic wrap) or a resealable plastic bag with their juices and refrigerate them for use the next day.

Steak Butter
Makes 16 tablespoons

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Stir together all the ingredients until the mixture is well blended. Divide the mixture equally onto 4 sheets of plastic wrap; shape each into a flattened square. Wrap the squares tightly in the wrap, pack them in a zippered plastic bag, and store them in the freezer until you are ready to use them. To use them, cut each square into quarters. Each quarter will be about 1 tablespoon.

COOK’S NOTES
The steak butter recipe above is an example of a compound butter, butter with flavorings added. It is an old French trick to add fresh herbs and other ingredients to softened butter and then use that butter as a sauce for all kinds of meats and vegetables. In the recipe for stead butter above I told you to shape each 4 tablespoon amount into a square and then wrap and freeze the packages as squares but if you want to get fancy, you can roll the butter in parchment or foil in the shape of a log and then just cut off little rounds of the butter as you need it. It makes for a nice presentation.

Shoulder lamb chops are a wonderful bargain. They’re a lot cheaper than rib or loin chops, and you can either quick sauté them (but keep in mind they will get tough if you cook them any more than to medium doneness) or slowly braise them. There are two main options in the shoulder lamb chop department – round bone or blade bone. The blade bone chop has less meat but either will work well in this recipe. You might want to make a little cut with a paring knife on the outside edge of the chop so that it doesn’t buckle up around the edges when it cooks.