Lamb Chops and Fresh Mint Sauce

By American Vinegar Works

Bowl of fresh chopped mint sauce beside seared lamb chops on a white plate

AVW Lamb Chops & Mint Sauce

Lamb and mint sauce are an English classic pairing that is surprisingly easy to make at home. It also benefits from minimal active cooking time which makes it both fancy-looking and easily pulled together for a fast weeknight meal (with some advanced planning for marinading).

The mint sauce should not be confused with mint jams or jellies which are thicker and have much more sugar. Mint sauce is liquid with abundant fresh chopped mint that creates a fresher sour and sweet dressing to balance the fatty richness of lamb, with much less sugar.

If you choose to serve the lamb without the mint sauce you may need to add more salt to the marinade or on your plate—the sweet/sour of mint sauce covers for the lower salt content of the lamb itself.

The mint sauce recipe features our IPA Malt Vinegar, opens in a new tab (and thoughts on why not the Porter). The lamb features our California EVOO and our Hot ACV.


Which vinegar to use, and why

Mint sauce is vinegar, mint and sugar. With a barrel-aged white wine vinegar you need far less sugar to balance it. We use Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

It keeps covered in the fridge and the flavor settles overnight, which usually improves it.

What to cook next

Try Chimichurri Sauce, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

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Lamb Chops & Mint Sauce

American Vinegar Works

Servings

2–4 People

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

1454

Cuisine

English Classic

Category

Main

This recipe brings the classic English pairing of lamb and mint sauce to your kitchen with ease. Unlike thick, sugary mint jellies, this traditional Mint Sauce is a fresh, liquid dressing made with IPA Beer Malt Vinegar and abundant fresh mint to perfectly balance the fatty richness of the lamb. With minimal active cooking time, it’s a sophisticated meal that works as well for a fast weeknight dinner as it does for a fancy occasion.

Lamb Chops & Mint Sauce

Ingredients

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    • 8 single lamb chops, ideally Frenched

    • 3 tablespoons of Hot Apple Cider Vinegar (or Chardonnay Vinegar as alternative)

    • ½ teaspoon salt

    • ½ teaspoon paprika

    • 1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

    • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (1 for marinade and 1 for frying pan)

    • 6 garlic gloves, peeled (3 for marinade and 3 for frying pan)

    • 4 tablespoons of AVW California Olive Oil

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    • 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

    • 3 tablespoons of boiling water

    • 1.5 tablespoon of sugar

    • ¼ teaspoon of salt

    • 3 tablespoons of IPA Beer Malt Vinegar

    Directions

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      1. Create marinade by mixing Hot ACV, salt and paprika

      2. Cut or smash 3 garlic cloves and break one rosemary spring in half

      3. Put half of the garlic and half of the prepared rosemary in the marinade, set lamb chops in marinade in a single layer and place remaining marinade garlic and rosemary on top of lamb.  Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and ideally overnight—flip lamb halfway if possible.

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      1. Use a thick bottomed frying pan large enough not to crowd lamb on medium heat

      2. Add olive oil, rosemary spring, red pepper and crushed garlic to the pan and cook herbs in oil for about 4 minutes.  Stir to prevent burning—you are infusing the oil with the herb flavors

      3. Add lamb (discard marinade and marinade herbs) to the pan in a single, uncrowded layer

      4. Cook lamb about 2 to 3 minutes per side for a medium cook.  Be mindful that single lamb chops are very thin and will cook quickly

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      1. Pluck mint leaves and thinly chop them (discard stems) and add to a small bowl

      2. Add sugar and salt to bowl

      3. Add boiling water and mix until well until salt and sugar are fully dissolved

      4. Add vinegar and mix well

      5. Let mint sauce stand/seep for about an hour

      6. Serve by spooning liquid and mint over plated lamb chops or simply serve on table and allow diners to spoon as they would like.
      Glass mug of hot apple cider with cinnamon stick and star anise on a yellow and red background
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