Lamb Chops with Mint & Homemade Tzatziki

Lovely lean and succulent grilled lamb chops are easy to prepare with a simple marinade recipe of olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Grilled to perfection on the BBQ and served with creamy homemade Tzatziki and a Baby Gem Salad with Greek feta and olives, this is a perfect summer meal to enjoy outdoors under the stars.

Homemade Tzatziki made with fresh grated cucumber, lots of fresh minced garlic 

and thick Greek yogurt

Little Gem Salad with Greek feta, kalamata olives and tangy vinaigrette

Lamb Chops with Mint, Homemade Tzatziki & Gem Salad
Serves 2

4 loin lamb chops
Fresh mint, for garnish
1 lemon, sliced for garnish

Homemade Tzatziki:
1/2 English cucumber, seeded and grated with skin on
1 cup plain strained Greek yogurt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed 
1/4 tsp Maldon salt

Baby Gem & Feta Salad:
3 heads Little Gem lettuce
1/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled
1 tbsp green and black Kalamata olives, halved
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp Maldon salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper


Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Grate the remaining cucumber, spread it out over a large tea towel and wrap it tight, leaving it at least 30 minutes until the grated cucumber is quite dry. In the meantime, peel and finely crush the garlic, then combine with the oil in a small bowl and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes. Combine the cucumber with the garlic mixture, then stir through the yoghurt until evenly distributed along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt to taste. Serve with warm pita or alongside a Greek salad and grilled meats. Leftover tzatziki keeps well, chilled, for about 4 days.

In a blender, whisk together garlic, vinegar and dijon mustard. Slowly add the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Season with lamb with a little salt and pepper and marinate with a tablespoon of the vinaigrette for about 30 minutes. Preheat and outdoor grill to medium high. When the grill is ready, cook the lamb chops turning one, to your level of doneness, about 130°F for medium-rare.  

Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. To serve, place the dressed lettuce on a large platter and garnish with crumbled feta, olives, and season with extra Maldon salt to taste, if desired. Arrange the lamb chops on a warm platter garnished with fresh mint and lemon with a bowl of tzatziki on the side, with some warm pita bread if desired.