The best meal I had in all of Mongolia was grilled mutton chops — cooked simply over an open fire on the steppe. In France, we rarely eat mutton, but lamb chops make a wonderful substitute. The secret of this dish lies entirely in the quality of the meat. Buy the best you can find — preferably from a good butcher — and let the simplicity speak for itself.
Fair warning: your hands and worktop will be liberally coated in fat. This is part of the experience!
Ingredients
- A rack of lamb (or mutton) chops — keep the rack intact
- Coarse salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Take the meat out of the fridge a few hours before cooking and let it come to room temperature — this is essential for even cooking.
- Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Keep the rack whole rather than cutting into individual chops — this prevents the meat from drying out.
- Roast the rack wrapped in foil in the oven at a low temperature (150°C / 300°F) for about 1.5–2 hours until the meat is beautifully tender.
- Unwrap the foil and blast at high temperature (220°C / 425°F) for 10 minutes to create a golden, slightly crispy crust.
- Rest the meat for 10 minutes before carving into individual chops.
- In Mongolia, this is eaten with bare hands, with no accompaniment — but a green salad or roasted vegetables work beautifully alongside!
Сайхан хооллоорой! 🇲🇳 (Saikhan khoolloroy — Bon appétit in Mongolian!)