Dining Out

Asian barbecue lamb chops with crispy Asian slaw

HERE’S a great example of Austral-asian cooking—the perfect partnership of Aussie lamb chops treated to a tamarind-based Asian marinade and some “crunch-tastic” slaw.

Ingredients (serves 4)
Lamb chops
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp taramind paste
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/2 fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 Thai red chile, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Australian grassfed lamb rack, French trimmed
Crispy Asian slaw
half Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
1 seedless cucumber, shredded
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 fresh Thai basil leaves
For the Asian dressing:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp superfine sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Thai red chile, de-seeded and finely chopped

Preparation
For the Lamb: In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice and zest, cilantro, chile, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cut the lamb rack into individual chops and place them in a shallow non-metallic dish. Rub the marinade into the cutlets, coating them well on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for up to four hours.
For the dressing: In a large bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together.
For the slaw: Add the slaw ingredients to the dressing bowl. Toss the ‘slaw with the dressing and set it aside while you cook the lamb.
To cook: Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Cook the marinated lamb chops in the skillet for two minutes on each side, until they are medium-rare, then set them aside in a warm place, allowing them to rest for five minutes.
To serve: Divide the slaw between four plates. Arrange two cooked lamb chops on top of each, with the bones facing up and to the centre of the dish. Drizzle a little extra dressing over the top and serve.