BABY LAMB CHOPS WITH MINT YOGURT DIPPING SAUCE

Baby Lamb Chops with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce image

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h5m

Yield 15 to 20 people

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 rack of lamb (choose the smallest racks possible) Frenched and cleaned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
Salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika

Steps:

For the lamb chops:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Over high heat, preheat a large skillet with cooking oil. Liberally season the racks of lamb with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place the meat in the pan and sear all sides over high heat until evenly browned. Place the racks on a sheet pan and place in the oven to finish cooking. See Chef's Note 1. For medium rare, about 8 minutes; medium, about 10 minutes; and well done, about 15 minutes. These are general guidelines but the cooking times will vary depending on the size of the rack.
After they are finished cooking in the oven, remove the racks and allow them to rest approximately 10 minutes. Cutting from the meat side of the rack, so that you can better visualize the chop size, cut each chop individually.
For the yogurt:
Place the yogurt, lime juice and garlic in a blender and puree on high speed until blended. While blending, slowly incorporate the mint and season with salt, cayenne, and cumin.
For assembly:
Liberally cover a nice serving platter with the yogurt sauce. Arrange the chops on the platter and decorate with extra mint leaves and pinches of paprika.