Name: Korean BBQ Lamb Chops
Cook time: 6 min
Ingredients: 2 Lamb Shoulder Chops; 1 Asian Pear; 1 cup Coconut Sugar; 1 cup Coconut Aminos; 1/2 cup Water; 2 tbsp Mirin; 1/4 cup Half White Onion, Half Green Onion; 4 tbsp Minced Garlic; 2 tbsp Sesame Oil; 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 1 tsp Garlic Powder; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil, for cooking

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Kalbi (or Galbi) are grilled beef short ribs marinaded in a sauce made with Asian Pears. Instead of making short ribs, I wanted to use this marinade to make Korean BBQ Lamb Chops. A few weeks ago, I made this same marinade and used it for some steak. When I tell you that this marinade is absolutely amazing, I am not exaggerating. This is the best marinade I’ve ever used for steak. Normally, I use coconut or brown sugar with soy sauce, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire. This was a nice switch up for once! These aren’t authentic, they’re definitely inspired by traditional Korean BBQ cuisine.

When it comes to cooking food outside of my culture, I try to be as respectful as possible. I don’t like to take credit for dishes like these. I was watching Food Network and watched a chef on one of Tyler Florence’s shows making traditional Kalbi. The ingredients the chef used were different than mine. I threw a bunch of ingredients in a blender and let it marinade for 24 hours. A lot of the recipes that I saw online didn’t let the marinade sit as long as I did.

Please note that I used Lamb Shoulder Chops for this recipe. I didn’t use a rack of lamb; I divided this marinade to use for steak and chicken!

How to make Korean BBQ Lamb Chops:

First, I created the marinade for these Korean BBQ Lamb Chops by adding 1 Asian pear, 1 cup of coconut sugar, 1 cup of coconut aminos, a 1/2 cup of water, 2 tbsp Mirin, 1/4 cup white and green onion, 4 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 2 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to a blender.

After blending the mixture above, I added it to a ziplock bag with the Lamb Shoulder Chops. I allowed the Korean BBQ Lamb Chops to really let that marinade seep in for 24 hours. I am so glad that I did this because the lamb was so tender. The lamb literally fell off the bone!

Instead of baking or pan searing Lamb Chops, I decided to grill them. I wanted them to be identical to traditional Korean BBQ. I’m more than sure that these will taste better pan seared rather than baked. Or, if you’re a little advanced, try and sous-vide the lamb!

How to cook Lamb Chops:

Lamb chops taste like rubber when they’re overcooked. You do not have to cook your Lamb Chops well done! I prefer Lamb when it’s tender and it falls off the bone. Lamb Chops are not supposed to be cooked that long. When it comes to chops in general, I always cook them 3 minutes on each side. I cannot stand tough meat. Your teeth will thank you for cooking them less.

Lamb tastes dull when you don’t marinade or season it well. I love to come up with different marinades for meats like lamb instead of just throwing salt and pepper on it. I have a few ideas for lamb sitting in my head that I need to bring to life.

What to serve with Lamb Chops?

I served these lamb chops with yellow rice and pinto beans. These Lamb Chops work very well with whatever you decide to serve it with. I would recommend grilling up some asparagus and making some mashed potatoes.

Or, if you want to keep the Korean inspired angle going – serve these Korean BBQ Lamb Chops with Sigeumichi Namul (Spinach) and Gamja Jorim (Braised Potatoes).