Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb Chops with Roasted Vegetables
Grass-fed lamb chops seared until crisp at the edges and brushed with a glossy, tangy pomegranate molasses glaze, finished with pomegranate arils, fresh mint, and pistachios. Choose a roasted vegetable side to match the season.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 25 min · Total: 45 min · Best in North America from fall through winter, when pomegranates are in season (October through January) · Best eaten: early evening
A note on pomegranate molasses: Real pomegranate molasses is simply pomegranate juice cooked down until thick and syrupy, but many brands add sugar, so check the label. It's also easy to make at home: simmer 4 cups pure pomegranate juice with 1 tbsp lemon juice over medium-low heat 60–75 minutes, until reduced to about ½ cup and syrupy. It keeps refrigerated for months.
Ingredients
Pomegranate glaze
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, grated
½ tsp ground cumin
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Lamb
8 grass-fed lamb rib chops (about 1 inch thick)
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp ghee
To finish: ⅓ cup pomegranate arils, a handful of fresh mint leaves, and 2 tbsp toasted chopped pistachios
Method
Make the glaze. Whisk everything together.
Sear the lamb. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Heat the ghee in a cast iron skillet over high heat and sear 3–4 minutes per side, crisping the fat edges, until the center reads 125–130°F for medium-rare.
Glaze. In the last minute of cooking, lower the heat and brush the chops generously with the glaze, turning once so it caramelizes without burning. Rest 5 minutes.
Plate. Arrange the lamb over your roasted vegetables, drizzle with a little extra glaze, and scatter with pomegranate arils, mint, and pistachios.
A second sauce option, Mustard-Basil: Blend ½ cup fresh basil, 1 tbsp Dijon, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. It's especially lovely in summer, when basil is at its peak.
Roasted Vegetable Options
Choose one, or make two. Each serves 4 and roasts at 425°F on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips (fall–winter): Cut 1 lb carrots and 1 lb parsnips into sticks, toss with 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee, 1 tsp cumin, and ½ tsp salt, and roast 25–30 minutes until caramelized. Finish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Sumac-Roasted Cauliflower (fall–spring): Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets, toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sumac, and ½ tsp salt, and roast 25 minutes until golden. Finish with lemon and parsley.
Roasted Eggplant and Red Onion (late summer): Cube 1 large eggplant and cut 1 red onion into wedges, toss with 3 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt, and roast 25–30 minutes until silky and browned. Finish with a spoonful of yogurt and fresh mint.
Storage: Lamb, up to 3 days refrigerated; roasted vegetables, up to 4 days; glaze, up to 2 weeks.
Nourishment Notes: Grass-fed lamb brings heme iron, B12, zinc, and CLA. Pomegranate offers punicalagins (powerful polyphenols), vitamin C, and fiber in the arils. Pistachios bring B6 and lutein. Mint adds menthol. Carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, and eggplant offer beta-carotene, fiber, glucosinolates, and nasunin, respectively. Sumac brings bright, lemony antioxidants.
For your cycle: Lamb's heme iron and zinc make this especially restorative during the menstrual phase, and pomegranate's vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.
Sourcing
Lamb chops — 100% grass-fed, from a local farm, White Oak Pastures, or US Wellness Meats
Pomegranate molasses — made from just pomegranate juice (and sometimes lemon), with no added sugar, organic when available, or homemade from organic, not-from-concentrate pomegranate juice in glass
Pomegranates, mint, basil, garlic, lemons, and vegetables — organic, from a farmers' market
Pistachios — organic; Sicilian Bronte or California
Spices (cumin, sumac) — organic and non-irradiated
Ghee — grass-fed, or homemade from organic grass-fed butter
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall