A rich flavored red wine sauce surrounds creamy white beans and Lollipop Lamb Chops. The combination of flavors come together in an astounding way. It’s a surprisingly easy recipe for such an elegant feel dish.
I’ll cut right to the chase, this recipe is an incredible lamb dish.
A lovely way to serve lollipop lamb chops for a romantic dinner or a small gathering dinner party. Delicate, tender lamb “lollipops” are pan seared then nestled over creamy white beans that have been sprinkled with artichoke hearts and roasted red bell peppers. A drizzle of red wine reduction sauce around the edges with a couple of lamb chops placed on top … Sounds irresistible doesn’t it?
Using canned beans, canned artichoke hearts and jarred roasted red bell peppers is your secret weapon for this easy restaurant quality dinner. I’ve been making this one for years.
What Are Lollipop Lamb Chops?
Lollipop Lamb Chops are lamb rib chops that have been cut from a rack of lamb which is the top part of the back attached to the ribs. This meat is incredibly tender and delicate in flavor.
In Culinary School, we learned to French strip a rack of lamb. This is where the meat is scraped away from the bones to create a more elegant appearance. When the rack of lamb is cut into chops, this scraping method creates a “handle” for the lamb chop that you can eat with your hands, like a lollipop.
You can purchase double rib lamb chops or single rib lamb chops. You can pan sear or grill either. For this recipe, we’re using single lollipop lamb chops, which are so easy to cook on the stove.
Where Did I Get This Recipe?
There’s a reason this recipe is restaurant quality. It comes from the cookbook Tasting Colorado and is a recipe served by the Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, one of Colorado’s most respected chefs and restauranteurs.
Ingredients For The Red Wine Reduction
The wine sauce can be made in advance, making the final recipe easier to finish and plate.
- Veal Demi Glace: Veal demi glace is an ultra rich, ultra concentrated sauce that makes any soup, stew or sauce very extra special. Very difficult to make at home, since you need at least 10 pounds of veal bones, seek out a concentrated product like this one from Williams and Sonoma. It resembles and is used like the Better than Boullion products.
- Kosher Salt: Preferred by chefs for it’s pure salt flavor.
- Red Wine: Several major wine companies make small bottles of both red and white wines. I always keep some in my pantry when needing small amounts for cooking. I use them if I don’t have any left over wine.
- Olive Oil
- Whole Garlic Cloves, peeled.
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Shallots: A mix between garlic and sweet onions, shallots are a wonderful addition to this dish.
- Whole Peppercorns: You’ll fish them out before serving. Tip: Place them in a cheese cloth pouch tied at the top to make this easier.
Ingredients For The White Beans and Lamb Chops
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is an ingredient used to make beans extra special and ultra luxurious. Canned beans never had it so good.
- Cannellini Beans: Using canned beans makes this an easy fix.
- Artichoke Hearts: Canned in liquid rather than oil.
- Kosher Salt: Coarse ground Kosher salt is the way to go here. Chefs prefer it for it’s pure salty flavor.
- Eight Lollipop Lamb Chops: I’m using lamb rib chops for this recipe simply because they’re so much fun. If there’s a thick layer of far around the chops, you may want to trim some of it away. Keep a little, as it will keep the chops super tender and flavorful.
- Dried Tarragon: Tarragon is often compared to anise, fennel and licorice. It’s carries a punch of flavor so be careful not to over-season.
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers: Jarred roasted red peppers make this an easy recipe.
About Colorado Lamb
Colorado has a strong ranching heritage and lamb plays a big part in our history. Colorado Lamb is highly sought after due to its quality, and consistency in flavor and tenderness. The majority of lamb are free range, grazing on grass, brush and sage in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. And even graze in Colorado Vineyards. Colorado lamb is hormone and antibiotic free.
Lamb raised and imported from New Zealand and Australia are smaller in size that American raised lamb, and bring with it a gamier flavor. Please support local. Ask your butcher for Colorado raised lamb.
Step by Step Instructions, The Process
How to make the red wine reduction sauce.
- Step 1: Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and cook until golden. Watch carefully and stir a few times so they don’t burn. This should take less than 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, peppercorns, red wine, water and concentrated veal demi-glace. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until reduced by half. About 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
How To Make The White Beans
- Step 3: Combine the heavy cream, tarragon and white beans in a small saute pan and heat over medium high heat until the cream begins to simmer.
- Step 4: Gently stir in the red peppers and artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until lamb is cooked.
How To Pan Sear Lollipop Lamb Chops
You simply won’t believe how easy it is to cook lamb chops on the stove.
- Step 5: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb chops. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook 2 – 3 minutes without touching. Turn the chops and cook on the other side for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
How To Serve:
Spoon the white beans in the center of four shallow plates and top each with two lamb lollipops. Spoon the red wine sauce around the beans. A couple sprigs of fresh thyme will spruce it up even more.
Questions You May Have
I have two skillets that I use for searing any cut of meat. A cast iron skillet and a 12″ Carbon Steel Skillet. The carbon steel skillet is my preference because it’s lighter weight than a cast iron. It’s also preferred by chefs and routinely used in restaurant kitchens. Disclaimer: I have included an Amazon link to the skillet. I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission if you purchase this skillet, and at no additional charge to you.
Absolutely yes. They are a little larger than lamb lollipops, and they look like little lamb t-bones. Their slightly larger size may mean you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
Make Ahead
The Red Wine Reduction Sauce can be made up to a couple of days in advance. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to use. Just reheat stove top once you start preparing the lamb chops and beans.
Tips For Success
- Your reputable butcher case will more than likely display a rack of lamb that’s been cleaned. Ask your butcher to cut individual lamb lollipops from this cut of meat.
- Pull the lamb lollipops out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Room temperature chops will cook more evenly.
- The amount of time needed for the lamb chops to cook will depend on the type of pan used.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of the lamb chops. We like medium rare, which should be cooked to 135 degrees. Once rested the internal temperature will rise to 145 degrees. I like this guide from The American Lamb Association as a resource for preparing the perfect lamb.
What To Serve It With
This lamb lollipop recipe is pretty much a delicious meal in itself. The only side dish that you might consider is a simple Tossed Salad Recipe.
More Recipes You Might Be Interested In:
The flavors in these recipe will have your family following their noses to the dinner table. I truly feel Americans would eat more lamb if they could just try a decent, well executed lamb recipe.
And don’t miss the most popular Colorado lamb recipe on my site for Lamb Sliders with Sweet Tomato Chutney. A recipe from the Executive Chef at the iconic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
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Lamb Lollipops with Red Wine Sauce and White Beans
Ingredients
- For The Red Wine Sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots peeled and thin sliced
- 3 large cloves garlic peeled and thin sliced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns wrapped in a cheesecloth pouch and tied at the top
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 2 cups Water
- 3 teaspoons Veal Demi-glace concentrate I buy mine from Williams and Sonoma
- ½ teaspoon Kosher
- For The Beans
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 28 ounces Cannellini Beans 2 cans, drained
- 12 ounces roasted red bell peppers Jarred or from olive bar. Drained and rough chopped.
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts canned or jarred, drained and quartered
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon or more to taste, be careful, tarragon carries a strong flavor
- For The Lamb
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 Lamb Lollipops or 6 Lamb loin chops.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and cook until golden. Watch carefully and stir a few times so they don't burn. This should take less than 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, thyme, peppercorns, red wine, water and concentrated veal demi-glace. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and simmer until reduced by half. This will take about another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fsh out the peppercorns. Keep warm until ready to serve. Or store in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to serve.
- For The Beans
- Combine the heavy cream, tarragon and white beans in a small saute pan and heat over medium high heat until the cream begins to simmer. Gently stir in the red peppers and artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until lamb is cooked.
- For The Lamb
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb chops. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook 2 – 3 minutes without touching. Turn the chops and cook on the other side for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
- To serve: Spoon the white beans in the center of four plates and top each with two lamb lollipops or one lamb chops. Spoon the red wine sauce around the edge of the beans. A couple sprigs of fresh thyme will spruce it up even more.
Notes
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- Pull the lamb lollipops out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Room temperature chops will cook more evenly.
-
- The amount of time needed for the lamb chops to cook will depend on the type of pan used.
-
- Use a digital meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of the lamb chops. We like medium rare, which should be cooked to 135 degrees. Once rested the internal temperature will rise to 145 degrees. I like this guide from The American Lamb Association as a resource for preparing the perfect lamb.
- Your reputable butcher case will more than likely display a rack of lamb that’s been cleaned. Ask your butcher to cut individual lamb lollipops from this cut of meat.
Nutrition
Lollipops Lamb Chops with Red Wine Sauce …It’s What’s for Dinner
