FC Day 7 - Lamb Chops w/Beer & Mustard Sauce

I've never made a lamb chop before. I've never eaten a lamb chop before. Hell, I don't think I'd ever even seen a lamb chop before I bought these at the store. But, lamb is supposed to be a lean meat, and a sophisticated one at that. So, I decided we should try it, and this recipe looked interesting. You know, move up in the culinary world, from the comfort of our own home. We tried ground lamb once awhile back, for lamb burgers...we were not impressed. But I decided to try the chops and just see how it turned out. It was actually a pretty simple process, and it turned out pretty well!

I served mine with Garlic and Herb Green Beans and Roasted Red Potatoes, and while I wasn't crazy at all about the sauce - it tasted to me very much like beer and nothing else - the lamb was pretty good, albeit gamey. I have another lamb chop recipe planned for the end of the month, maybe I will like that sauce better :)

Ingredients

• 2 lamb rib chops, about 3 ounces each, trimmed
• 2 Tbs mince garlic, separated
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 12-ounce bottle bottle beer, divided
• 2 tablespoon molasses
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Rub lamb chops with oil, 1 Tbs of the garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chops and brown well on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a small ovenproof dish and roast until desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.
4. Meanwhile, pour beef broth and 1 cup of the beer into the pan; stir in molasses and the remaining garlic. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in mustard.
5. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons beer in a small bowl. Add to the sauce in the pan and whisk until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.