Herbed Tahini Grilled Lamb Chops with Israeli Couscous
Shanna
Tender grilled lamb chops with a magical herb tahini sauce served over Israeli couscous. Serve with lemon slices for a delicious Mediterranean inspired meal.
1lemonzested and juiced ( about one Tablespoon each)
2garlic clovesroughly chopped
½teaspoonground cumin
Pinchof cayenne pepperoptional for spice
Saltas needed
½Cwater
1tablespoon15ml olive oil
For the Couscous
2teaspoonolive oil
1 ½CIsraeli couscous
½teaspoonsaltor more to taste
½teaspoonblack pepper
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoononion powder
1 ¾Cchicken brothor vegetable broth
1tablespoonbutter
For the Lamb Chops
2lbslamb chopsabout 1 inch thick each (10-12 chops)
1tablespoonolive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions
Make the Magical Herb Tahini Sauce and Israeli Couscous before grilling the lamb chops. Preheat the grill to medium high while preparing the sauce and couscous.
Make the Sauce:
Combine all of the tahini sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until well incorporated; periodically stopping the processor to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Taste and add more salt if desired. The consistency of the sauce should be pourable, similar to honey. Add more water if needed. Scrape into a bowl and set aside until ready to use. You can swap out cilantro and parsley for any other herb you wish as long as they are fresh. I used fresh basil from my garden in place of the parsley.
Make the Couscous:
Heat the olive oil in a 2 qt sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the couscous and sauté for 3-5 minutes until some of the couscous is starting to turn golden. Add in the seasonings and stir, then add in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, place lid on pan and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender. Turn off heat and let steam for 10 minutes. Add in the butter and stir, taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Grill the lamb chops:
Brush the lamb chops lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the preheated grill at medium-high for 3-4 minutes a side for medium-rare chops, flipping only once. If the chops are thinner, or more rare is desired, grill for 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon about ⅔ cup of the couscous on a plate, top with 2-3 lamb cops, spoon over a few tablespoons of the magical herb tahini sauce. Serve with lemon slices, garnish with fresh herbs such as basil.
Notes
The Magical Herb Tahini sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.