Meat juices key to wilted Caesar dressing
This recipe is a template for topping sautéed steaks or chops of most any kind with a wilted salad, a splendid dish for a late summer dinner.
Mostly, I’m taking my cues here from the Italians. In Florence, they like to pep up their grilled steaks with a drizzle of olive and a spritz of lemon, which cuts through the meat’s fattiness. Then there’s veal Milanese, a breaded chop with a salad on top. But the latter dish doesn’t marry the salad dressing to the chops, as I do here, and my chop isn’t breaded. Also, Caesar dressing is rooted in Mexico, not Italy. All of which is to say I guess my inspirations were pretty diverse.
How to marry the meat to the salad? By taking advantage of the concentrated bits of reduced meat juices at the bottom of the pan, as well as the juices from the resting chops after they have been cooked. It’s then that the salad’s flavours — anchovies, garlic and shallots — are added to the skillet, followed by chicken broth, lemon juice and olive oil.
As noted, these are basically the ingredients for a Caesar dressing with a little chicken broth added.
Please don’t skip the anchovies in this recipe. Even if you think you don’t like these delicious little fishies, you’ve certainly enjoyed them unwittingly on many occasions. They add depth and complexity to countless dishes and are the secret ingredient in many dressings and sauces.
As for the greens, feel free to experiment. If you prefer them to be more crispy and less wilted, don’t add them to the pan; just toss them with the warm dressing.
Finally, I have called for lamb shoulder chops because they’re more affordable than rib or loin chops. They’re every bit as tasty as the pricier chops, even if they’re also marginally chewier. Of course, if you feel like splurging, reach for the more expensive cuts. And know that this recipe works just as well with steak, pork chops and chicken on the bone as it does with lamb chops.
Lamb Chops with Warm Caesar Salad
Start to finish: 35 minutes Makes: Four servings
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided Four 1/2-inch-thick lamb shoulder or round bone chops • Kosher salt and ground black pepper 4 anchovy fillets, chopped 2 Tbsp minced shallots 1 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 Tbsp lemon juice 4 cups chopped escarole, dandelion greens (tough stems removed) or romaine 1 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Reduce the heat to medium and add two of the lamb chops, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, five to six minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining two chops in the oil remaining in the pan.
Return the skillet to the heat and reduce to mediumlow. Add 1 Tbsp of the remaining oil, the anchovies, shallots and garlic, then cook, stirring, for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the broth and lemon juice and cook, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom, for one minute. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil, the greens, and a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the greens are slightly wilted, about two minutes. Add the juices from the resting lamb and remove from the heat.
To serve, transfer the chops to each of four plates and top each chop with a quarter of the dressed wilted greens and the cheese.