Barbecued lamb cutlets with lemongrass and ginger by Neil Perry

Serves 4

Lamb cutlets are one of the great things to barbecue, and there is something really nice about piling them up on a plate and picking them off one by one. Holding onto the bone and chewing on the meat is wildly satisfying. Creamed corn (page 390) makes a good side.~

12 lamb cutlets
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve

For the marinade
2 lemongrass stalks, tender inner stems only, thinly sliced
3 cm (1¼ inch) knob of ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
3 tablespoons chopped mint
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Remove the cutlets from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
For the marinade, use a mortar and pestle to pound the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and salt to a rough paste. Add the coriander and mint and pound for a further minute, then stir in the olive oil.

Transfer the marinade to a large bowl, add the chops and mix well, then leave for about 1 hour to marinate.

Heat the barbecue to hot and clean the grill bars. Put the cutlets on the hottest part of the grill and cook for about 2 minutes each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

To serve, place the lamb cutlets on a platter. Mix a little olive oil into the juices left on the resting plate and pour over the cutlets. Finish with a good grind of pepper, then serve with lemon wedges.

Variation
Get your butcher to butterfly a leg of lamb, boning it out and flattening it, then spread with the marinade and leave to marinate for 3 hours at room temperature. Barbecue until a thermometer registers the core temperature of the meat as 55°C (131°F), about 20 minutes, then remove and leave to rest for 15 minutes – during this time the internal temperature should rise to 59–60°C (138–140°F), to give you some seriously delicious pink lamb. Carve into slices and serve with lemon wedges.

Cook more from this book
Crispy pork belly with red onion, coriander, peanuts and sesame seeds by Neil Perry
Flourless chocolate cake by Neil Perry

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Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry

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Everything I Love to Cook: 150 home classics to return to
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