Grilled Lamb Chops With Wine Sauce

A good week in real estate: 2 closings, 3 new leads, the satisfaction of matching families with houses the way Mama matches fillings with phyllo — instinctively, confidently. I brought spanakopita to an open house. The buyers ate it. They made an offer.

Alexander called from USF this week. He is focused and building a life with the quiet competence of a young man who watched his mother rebuild from nothing and decided that building is what Papadopouloses do. He still does not call Yia-yia enough. He never will.

I stood in my kitchen this evening and looked at the counter where I have made a thousand meals for my family and thought: this is what I do. I feed people. I sell them houses and I feed them food and I keep showing up because showing up is the only recipe that never fails.

I made youvetsi — lamb stew with orzo baked until the pasta absorbed all the tomato sauce and the lamb fell apart. The kitchen smelled like cinnamon. Sophia ate 3 servings and said nothing, which means it was good. Alexander ate 4 and asked for more. The pan was empty by nine. Empty pans are the highest form of flattery in this kitchen.

The weeks pass and I am learning that life at 45 is not what I expected at twenty-five. It is messier, harder, more beautiful. The moussaka is better because my hands have made it more times. The career is stronger because the failures taught me what the successes could not. And the love — the love I pour into every dish, every showing, every Sunday drive to Tarpon Springs — is bigger now because I have lost enough to know what it costs.

The youvetsi emptied the pan by nine, and that told me everything I needed to know about the week. But lamb deserves more than one night, and lamb chops with a proper wine sauce are what I reach for when I want to carry that same warmth — the cinnamon, the richness, the feeling of a kitchen that has fed people well — into a form I can pull together even when the calendar is full. This is the recipe I make when the week has asked a lot of me and I want dinner to give something back.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 bone-in lamb loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup low-sodium beef or lamb broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Season the chops. Pat lamb chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce base.
Sear and grill. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until a thermometer reads 135°F at the thickest part. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes.
Build the wine sauce. In a small saucepan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and oregano; cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze and reduce. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add broth and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by about half, 6 to 8 minutes.
Finish the sauce. Remove from heat and swirl in butter until melted and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve. Arrange lamb chops on a platter or individual plates. Spoon wine sauce generously over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately alongside roasted potatoes, orzo, or crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Lamb Chops With Wine Sauce — The Week the Pan Came Up Empty