Lamb Chops with Tomato Salad

healthyish lamb cinnamon pistachio sesame seed green onion scallion lemon lettuce tomato salad

Andy Baraghani

1 serving

Source

Ingredients

2 lamb loin chops (about 10 ounces total)

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon roasted pistachios

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

½ lemon

1 head of Little Gem lettuce or 1 small endive, leaves separated

2 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 10 ounces), cut into 1½–2-inch irregular pieces

A spice mill or mortar and pestle

Method

Season lamb all over with salt, then rub with cinnamon, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. Finely grind pistachios in spice mill or with mortar and pestle.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium until hot and shiny. Cook lamb, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. The goal here is to cook out some of the fat while you brown the meat, so make sure to keep the heat moderate to prevent overcooking before that can happen. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Reserve 2 Tbsp. pan drippings.

Meanwhile, mix pistachios, sesame seeds, and about 6 turns of pepper (1 tsp.) in a medium bowl. Set aside a big pinch of pistachio mixture for serving. Add scallion greens to bowl, along with zest and juice of lemon half. Stir in reserved 2 Tbsp. pan drippings; season with salt. Add lettuce and tomatoes and toss to coat.

Sprinkle salad with reserved pistachio mixture. Serve lamb chops (you can slice the meat off, if desired) with tomato salad alongside.