A quick and easy recipe for pan-fried lamb shoulder chops topped with melted miso butter cooked on a skillet.
One of the greatest joys in the summertime for me is firing up the BBQ and grilling up a steak, or..in my case lamb chops.
Now that summer has gone, and winter has taken over the thought of grilling meat outside doesn't really sound that appealing -- that and the fact that the BBQ is probably frozen shut 😛
Dust off your skillet cast iron pan and sear your pork shoulder chop instead! The melted miso butter will be SO worth it. I promise.
Winter or not, I refuse to give up a good lamb chop. Especially if it only takes 5 ingredients, is quick to make, and is very simple to put together.
This pan-fried lamb shoulder chop is delicious, especially when you brown the sage and garlic with the butter and the lamb chops get infused with those flavors. When you top it off with the miso butter, it really completes the flavor with a nice salty umami flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lamb Shoulder Chops - I like to use lamb shoulder chops for this recipe because it's the 'dark meat' of pork and it's more flavorful and not as dry. You can use regular pork chops for this as well but you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on how thick it is.
- Garlic and Sage - Garlic and sage are the aromatics of this recipe. You can substitute it with other aromatics such as thyme or rosemary as well but definitely keep the garlic in.
- Miso - I like to use red miso for this miso butter but you can use any type of miso for it. White and yellow miso is more commonly found and has a lighter sweeter flavor. You can find miso at any Asian grocery store and sometimes regular grocery store as well. If you cannot find it you can buy it online.
- Butter - Since miso is very salty, we don't want to add more salt to our dish. Use unsalted butter for this recipe if you can.
Miso Butter
I take no credit here for this wonderful creation. This is all Mr. David Chang from Momofuku.
It's really easy to make. Leave some butter out to soften and then mix the miso in. That's it. The ratio he uses is 2:1, butter to miso.
You can also make a bigger batch to store in the fridge to use in a variety of different things such as:
- Any type of grilled, or pan-fried steaks.
- Cooked vegetables that need a pick-me-up. Just dollop a little bit on to melt over the vegetables
Pan Frying the Shoulder Chop
I used a cast iron pan for this pan-fried lamb chops recipe because cast irons can get up to a very high temperature and because it holds the heat evenly but honesty, you can use anything really. My second option would be to use a non-stick frying pan.
When you are cooking with ingredients like butter, herbs, and garlic on high heat you need to be careful not to burn them. To prevent burning the butter during the initial heating stage I add the oil first, then I melt the butter in it. The milk solids in the butter on direct heat tends to burn quickly, but when added with oil it slows down the burning process because it drops the smoking point.
We want to wait until the pan is REALLY hot. When it's ready, then we put the chops on to start the browning.
I prefer to not put the herbs and garlic right away. I know we want to infuse the oil but I find when these delicate ingredients go in too soon, they burn really quickly. Especially when you are working with such high heat.
After about 2 mins, that is when I add in the garlic and sage, and usually, that is about the time I will also check if the meat is ready for flipping.
To check if the pork shoulder chop is ready to be flipped, I lift it up slightly on one side, if I see a nice browning, then it's ready to be flipped over. If it still looks gray and sad, then I leave it for another minute or so. After you flip it, cook it for another few minutes you're ready to plate it.
Don't forget about that oh-so-yummy miso butter! At this point, I'd throw a chunk on and let it melt all over the pan-fried lamb chops and then eat!
Tips
- Try not to flip the meat too much. When you leave the lamb chops alone, it will allow a crust to form on the meat.
- Don't put the herbs and garlic in right away. We are cooking this on very high heat and it will burn the aromatics and garlic. Wait until at least one side of the lamb shoulder chop is done before adding the garlic and herbs, that way it won't burn as easily.
- You shouldn't salt the meat before you pan fry this lamb chop. The miso butter has enough salt to flavor this dish and salting the lamb chops will make this dish very salty.
More Recipes You May Like
- Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops
- Sweet & Sticky Cola Ribs
- Herb Roasted Turkey Legs
- Sweet and Sticky Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
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Recipe Card
Pan Fried Lamb Shoulder Chops with Miso Butter
Recipe Notes
- Do not add salt to the lamb chops when you are cooking it. The miso butter has enough salt in it to add the savory flavor at the end.
- To get a brown crust on the lamb chops, flip it only a once or twice. The long exposure to the heat is what allows the crust to form on the lamb.
- Miso Butter recipe is adapted from David Chang's from Momofuku Cookbook
Ingredients
- 4 lamb chops
- 12 cloves garlic (3 whole cloves per lamb chop)
- 2-3 sprigs sage
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Miso Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons miso
Instructions
Preparation
- Remove the leaves off the stem of the sage and put aside
- Peel the garlic and whack it with the side of your knife. You want to keep these intact but smashed. Put them aside
Making the Miso Butter
- Soften butter at room temperature or in a microwave for 10 seconds
- Add miso into the butter and mash it together until it is well combined
- Put the butter back in the fridge for 15 minutes solidfy, while you are cooking the lamb chops
- You can also saran wrap and roll it into a log before putting it back into the fridge and when you are ready to use it remove it from the saran wrap and slice it into medallions.
Pan Frying the Lamb Chops
- Heat up the oil on medium high heat on a cast iron pan (or high heat on a frying pan)
- Add a bit of oil and butter in the pan. When the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add the lamb chops and sear for 2-3 mins on one side.
- Add 3 cloves of garlic per lamb chop in the pan and a few sage leaves (we added about 5 sage leaves per lamb chop)
- Flip the lamb to the other side and sear for another 2-3 mins
- Remove from heat and plate it. Add some miso butter on top while it's still hot to melt it. (Add as much as you like, this will depend on how salty you like your chops). Enjoy!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Josie says
I like your special add on Miso butter ingredient recipe on the shoulder 🥩 lamb chop, I sizzle the meat on both sides till deep brown colour providing like wok flame 🔥 sound and taste 👍👍. . My bubby.'s most favorites meat is lambs 🥩 than porkchops . Thank you JOYCE.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Josie!
You're very welcome! I think the miso butter really makes this dish so I know what you mean!
Brad Tanner says
I am gqing to try it out tonight,thanks
Joyce says
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂