Pan-Fried Pastured Lamb Chop with Marsala Reduction

Background info: While modern cuisines cook meat such as lamb chops on the bone to enhance flavor and texture, early humans relied on this practice for survival. Over 30,000 years ago, our ancestors utilized “earth ovens” (large pits dug in the earth and lined with stones) to cook meaty bones and other foods, extracting vital nutrients like glycine (the main amino acid in collagen, which has been shown to improve sleep quality and efficacy).

Although lamb and mutton occupy a lower culinary status than beef or chicken in modern American cuisine, traditional sheepherding is experiencing a resurgence across the U.S., with the Navajo Peoples leading the charge to preserve this traditional practice and maintain its positive impact on regional conservation efforts.

—Price-Pottenger

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[From The PPNF Kitchen]

Ingredients

2 pastured lamb chops
4 Tbs. minced rosemary and thyme mixed with 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
2 Tbs. pastured bacon grease or lard (coconut oil or ghee may be substituted but use lower temperature)
1 cup homemade beef stock (basic recipe in Nourishing Traditions)
⅓ cup Marsala wine
¼ cup homemade crème fraîche (1 pint cream, not ultra-pasteurized, mixed with 1 tablespoon buttermilk in glass jar set at room temp for 24 hours then refrigerated until set up)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rub lamb chops with herb/salt mixture on both sides and let sit for 1 hour.

Heat cast iron skillet to hot, add bacon grease or lard and place chops in hot grease.

Sear on both sides and continue to cook, turning occasionally until rare inside.

Remove chops from pan and set aside.

Deglaze skillet with Marsala, scraping brown bits from the bottom with a spatula.

Add beef stock and simmer on high heat, stirring constantly, until reduced by half.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in crème fraîche until incorporated completely.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over lamb chops on a bed of sautéed chard.

About the Author

Annie Dru attended the University of California, San Diego, and has studied the art of human nutrition for the past 25 years, specifically as it pertains to the reproductive cycle. She teaches a local series of classes on food preparation based on the research of Weston A. Price, DDS. She has lectured at San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Annie was drawn to the work of Dr. Price when confronted with her own life-threatening illness. After years of exploring macrobiotics, vegetarianism, and other fad diets, she regained her health by following the principles gleaned from his research. Annie’s DVD, Easy to Make Lacto-Fermented Foods, is available from PPNF.