Lamb has to be a favorite among many when it comes to smoking meats. It has such a great taste that it only takes a little olive oil and seasoning to shine, but can be really taken to another level by adding in some Meditteranean, Middle Eastern or Indian flavors. I hope you’ll get creative with the flavor combinations here next time you make smoked lamb chops for dinner!
I always recommend spending a little extra on great quality meat. Talk to your butcher about where they source their meat and suggestions for cooking methods – you’ll probably find they have a lot of knowledge that they’re happy to pass on!
For these smoked loin lamb chops, set your smoker to around 250°F, using mild wood chips. Around an hour should result in medium rare meat, but you can adjust this depending on your preferences. You’ll want the internal temperature of the meat at around 145°F, if you have a meat thermometer you can check it with.
If you’re keen to mix things up a bit, try marinating your meat for 1-6 hours in the fridge first. There are a so many combinations of marinade I have tried, but here are my favorites I would recommend you test out for yourself…
- Pesto (I usually use a rocket or basil based one)
– serve with buttery potatoes, greens, grilled tomatoes and some buffalo mozzarella. - Tandoori paste, yoghurt and lemon
– serve with rice, broccoli or green beans and a mango chutney - Oregano, sumac, lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil
– serve with flat bread, pickles, hummus and salad - Garlic, lemon, salt pepper and olive oil.
– serve with a freshly tossed greek or garden salad, tabouli or mash potato and veg.
And there you have smoked loin lamb chops!
Ingredients
- 10-12 Lamb loin chops
- Coarse kosher salt (for dry brining)
- Rosemary, finely chopped
- Olive oil
- rub
Instructions
- Dry Brine
A dry brine is sprinkling salt on the outside of the meat and putting it in the fridge for 2 or more hours. During this time the salt draws moisture to the surface where it mixes to a flavorful slurry. This juice is drawn back into the meat, and the meat is now seasoned all the way through.Generally, I only dry brine one side if the meat is not very thick or the pieces are rather small like these loin chops. If you are dry brining and large meaty steaks that are really thick, you might consider doing both sides.Don’t worry, you can be pretty generous and the meat will still not too salty.
- For the oil and herbs
You’d better do an hour or two hours ahead of time to let the flavors fuse together.Chop enough rosemary, and pour ¼ cup of olive oil over the rosemary and let it set aside until you are ready to use it.Then brush the olive oil and rosemary and leave onto the top and sides of the lamb chops. Remember to be generous.
- Season Them Up
Season the top, sides, and bottom of the lamb chops with rub (buy a ready-made one from the market.)Let the seasoned lamb loin chops relax while you go get the smoker ready.
- Smoke Time
Set up your smoker for cooking at 225°F with indirect heat. If your smoker has a water pan, fill it up.Add enough smoking wood to last 30-45 minutes.Place the lamb chops on the grill pan.At 225°F, the chops should take about 50 minutes to reach medium rare. I usually shoot for about 138°F.You should be aware that the time is simply estimation, the temperature is what determines when the meat is done. Many things can change how long it actually takes, such as: How cold the meat is when it goes into the smoker. How full the smoker is.And the outside ambient temperature.
- Rest and Serve
Just like smoked beef, rest to lamb is also important. Set the loin chops on the counter with foil tented over it for about 5-7 minutes to rest before enjoying.
Notes
While smoking the Loin you can choose to have woods with a fragrance like cedar and rosemary which will blend.