Grilled lamb chops with lettuce and ranch dressing
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes, plus marinating
4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1⁄3 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
3 packed tablespoons chopped mint, dill, cilantro or a combination
2 packed tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely grated or mashed to a paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1⁄2 cup buttermilk, or use 1⁄4 cup each milk and plain yogurt 1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 pounds bone-in lamb chops, about 1-inch thick (any cut)
Romaine lettuce hearts, large leaves torn and small ones left whole, for serving Sliced radishes, for serving
1. In a blender or mini food processor, combine half the scallions, the herbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of salt and a lot of pepper. Blend until you get a rough paste, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula as needed. (It’s not a lot of liquid so you may need to stop the blender a few times to scrape the sides.)
2. Transfer 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of the herb mix to a small bowl. Mix in about two-thirds of the grated garlic (2 cloves) and the Worcestershire, and set it aside.
3. To the blender, add the remaining garlic, the mayonnaise, buttermilk and the juice of 1 lemon wedge, and purée until the mixture is quite smooth. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, as needed. Store dressing in the refrigerator until serving.
4. Season lamb chops all over with salt, then rub them with the reserved herb paste. Refrigerate the chops for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
5. Light the grill to high heat. (If broiling, set a rack 4 inches away from the heat source and heat your broiler to high.) Drizzle chops with a little oil, then grill or broil until done to taste, 2 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
6. To serve, put the lettuce hearts on a platter, drizzle with ranch dressing, and top with sliced radishes and scallion. Serve along with the lamb chops and more ranch dressing and lemon wedges on the side.