The Crucial Step That Can Make Or Break Your Lamb Chops

Lamb chops are incredibly delicious, but it's no secret that they need to be cooked perfectly in order to really impress. Unlike with some other dishes, there's no hiding when it comes to lamb. After all, a tough, rubbery piece can really ruin a meal. It's easy to make, but you need to make sure you follow a simple set of steps, and one of those includes bringing the meat to room temperature before cooking it.

If you start cooking your lamb chops right after you've taken them out of the fridge, then there's a high possibility that they'll cook too quickly on the outside, especially if you're using a hot pan to make these garlicky pan-seared lamb chops. If this happens, the exterior of the chops will dry out while the interior will take forever to come to temperature, leading to an uneven result. However, if you bring the chops to room temperature, then they'll cook more evenly and won't take as long to finish.

This is pretty much the rule of thumb with all red meats, but it's especially important when it comes to cooking lamb, especially if you're working with a thicker cut. Room temperature lamb not only cooks faster, it also offers a better flavor and texture, and the juice will remain sealed inside throughout the cooking process.

Of course, you don't want to leave the chops out for too long before cooking either. Somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes on the kitchen counter should do it. If the cut is a bit thicker, aim more towards the 60-minute mark, but anything will help if you're crunched on time. Just be sure you don't leave it out for much longer than an hour, as that can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria. A good temperature to aim for is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and if anything seems off, use your judgement.

Once the chops are ready, you want to get them cooking as fast as you can. For medium rare, you want to remove them from the heat source at about 135 degrees and let them rest until they reach 145 degrees. For medium, you're looking at 150 degrees instead of 135, allowing them to reach 160 degrees before consuming. Bringing the chops to room temperature should help get them there quicker, whether you're breaking out the grill for the absolute best lamb chops or following another method. Either way, just make sure you avoid cooking them cold or falling for any of these other lamb chop mistakes.