Aren't All Lamb Chops the Same?

Butcher's Counter: Every Kind of Lamb Steak

We Enlightened Omnivores are excited about eating a little bit of everything. But, having three kids and a busy life, I know that it can be so easy to go to the grocery store and buy the same ribeye, boneless skinless chicken breast, and salmon fillet.

But come on! Look at all those delicious options.

My favorite protein is lamb. There is nothing better than a roasted leg of lamb (preferably over wood fire), a dollop of tzatziki, some crusty baggette and an inky bottle of Gigondas………Sorry, I just needed a moment there.

But, being a butcher for seven years, I learned pretty quickly that Americans love their steaks. So I thought I’d put together a list of the five most common lamb searing cuts we used to offer at my butcher shop, Electric City Butcher. Our lamb was 100% Grass-Finished from Emigh Lamb in Dixon, CA, but there are several fantastic ranchers along the West Coast, and New Zealand grass-finished lamb is also super tasty.

Lamb Steaks, or are They Chops?

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to lamb steaks, or are they chops? Step into a butcher shop or grocery store, and you might find a blade chop, leg steak, lollipop or saddle chop. Have I already got you confused?

But not every lamb steak is created equal.

What most people don’t realize is that lamb steaks come from different parts of the animal with very different textures, flavors, cooking techniques, and pricing. I’ve put these five cuts in order of guest preference at our shop, although all are unique and delicious in their own way. I’ve provided some tips on how to order them—and more importantly—how to cook them. Plus, I’ve thrown in a few butcher hacks to boot.

The Rib Chop

I’ve never been asked for a lamb ribeye, but that’s what you’re getting when you order the most popular cut of lamb. Known as the “rack,” rib chop, or lollipop, rib chops are made up of a large, single loin muscle and a slender rib bone. Mild in flavor, the entire rack can be roasted whole on high heat, or seared quickly in a pan as individual chops. These are little guys, so expect to serve at least two chops per guest.

The lamb chops above include all the meat and fat around the bones, which is how I like them if I’m BBQing or roasting. If you’re searing them in a pan, you might what to consider ordering them “Frenched.” No we’re not buying European meat. “Frenched” simply means skillfully exposing and cleaning about half of the rib bone from the chop. In addition to looking cool, it also removes some of the strong-flavored rib fat that seldom renders fully when you sear them. Most people don’t realize that lamb’s “gamey” flavor (you either love it or hate it) originates in the fat. Undercooked fat intensifies that grassy, lamby flavor!

Cooking Tip #1: I think these chops should always be pan seared. They are too delicate to end up on the grill. Roasting is not a bad way to go either, but make sure to cover any exposed bones with some foil to prevent scorching. Cook them to a rare internal temp of 125°F.

Butcher’s Tip #1: A Frenched rib chop is the OG Tomahawk Steak. But what most guests don’t realize is that you’re paying a lot more for basically…bone. The butcher’s not ripping you off. It takes time to properly “French” a rack, and we’re making the cut lighter, so we have to charge more. To save some money, buy your racks “trimmed” not “Frenched.” This exposes only about an inch of bone. The cut still looks elegant, but has larger portions for hungrier guests, and saves some dough.

The Loin Chop — This one is a bit of a misnomer, as the rib chop mentioned above is also technically made up of loin meat. A more accurate term would be T-bone, or short loin chop—but I don’t make the rules. If you look closely, you’ll see the loin chop does look like a baby Porterhouse with a generous portion of strip loin and tenderloin (the most tender cut of lamb), separated by the chine bone. The loin chop actually starts as a saddle, which gets its name because it looks like…a saddle. When crosscut, the saddle makes the very rare, double chop, or saddle chop—two lamb porterhouses end to end, yum!

Cooking Tip #2: This sear-able badboy is probably the best of the loin cuts to go on the grill. Thicker than the rib chop, it stands up to direct heat for longer, and the bone helps keep the center pink. In my opinion, lamb steaks can never be too rare, so don’t cook this chop over 130°F in the center.

Butcher’s Tip #2: The loin chop can be turned into my favorite cut of lamb, the saddle roast. The entire short loin is deboned leaving a cylindrical slab of tenderloin and strip loin wrapped in a generous fat cap. Seared and roasted—or rotisseried over a wood fire at my house—this roast feeds six, and can be easily sliced into incredibly tender, and flavorful medallions of the best parts of the animal. You will definitely need to order this in advance from an artisan butcher who loves what they do! Expect to pay $5-10 dollars more a pound for the labor and loss of bone weight.

The Leg Chop — Butcher’s never tire of new ways to give Americans more of what they want—BBQ-friendly, sear-able steaks that are also delicious. Leg steaks (I’ve seen them referred to as Leg Chops at some grocers) are one of those inventions. The largest lamb steak available, these are typically cross cut slabs of meat from the upper hind leg. You should see generous portions of lean meat, (top, bottom, and eye round) with a perfectly round leg bone just off-center. Although these chops offer generous portions, and deliciously flavorful meat, they’re less tender, and require longer cooking time.

Cooking Tip #3: A rare, seared leg chop will probably disappoint. Cooked on the grill to a good medium (130-135°F) and finished with a drizzle of olive oil, a dollop of yogurt, and dusted with za’atar, this is one of my favorite ways to serve the largest of lamb steaks.

Butcher’s Tip #3: For the best cut of leg steak, ask for a sirloin chop. This is commonly lumped in with the leg steak, but actually isn’t part of the leg at all. Surprise, surprise, it’s from the…sirloin, which is just in front of the pelvis (or aitch bone for us meat heads). The sirloin is often separated from the carcass along with the leg. Any good butcher can make two or three decent chops out of this cut. The sirloin chop is probably the most tender and flavorful cut on the animal—after the rib and loin chops that is.

The Shoulder Chop — Also known as a blade chop, or blade steak, this is a cut I often see in the grocery store, and one that disappoints many would-be lamb lovers. One of the most economical of chops, this crosscut steak can be very flavorful. Unfortunately, what you gain in flavor, you loose in texture. There is a lot of chew on this steak due to the intense bands of connective tissue common to the hard-working shoulder muscles. The thick ribbons of fat also don’t render completely when searing. I prefer to leave this cut in the crockpot, roast the whole shoulder on the bone, or better yet, made braise it into carnitas for a family favorite, lamb tacos! 

Cooking Tip #4: Don’t undercook these guys. Rare is for the loin. The shoulder chop is ideal for a reverse sear or sous vide to allow the thicker pieces of fat to render, and the chewy bits to break down. To get some color, finish each chop with a quick sear in a scorching pan until 135-140°F

Butcher’s Tip #4: There are one or two good searing steaks off the back of the shoulder (closest to the rack, and furthest from the arm). If you need two steaks in a pinch, ask your friendly butcher to cut from the loin end of the shoulder. Not the prettiest chops, but they’ll get the job done.

The Arm Chop — Lamb are of the four-legged variety, but in Butcher Land, our animals have arms. On larger lamb, like in the spring after healthy winter rains, the front legs—I mean arms—have good steak-worthy meat on them before the muscles turn into the more slender and tougher lamb shank (strictly braising meat). These foreleg chops tend to be smaller in size and structure than the more common leg steaks. In my opinion, these steaks are better than shoulder chops, but also less common. They eat a lot like a leg steak, but with a smaller portion.

Cooking Tips #5: If this is your only option, or you’re trying to save a few bucks, make sure to cook these guys like a shoulder chop. Low and slow, then sear. One benefit is you’ll get a bit of marrow from the arm bones. After cooked, spoon out the marrow and spread it on a piece of crusty bread for a fun appetizer.

Butcher’s Tip #5: The lamb arm quickly becomes more bone than meat as things move towards the shank. Because this is a working muscle, the meat can also be very tough. Make sure the cross-cut arm bone in every one of these cuts is no more than 1” in diameter, circular in shape, and offset to one side of the chop. Larger diameter, irregular shape, or if the bone is in the middle of the steak means it’s from too far down the leg, and should be saved for stew.

Ok, that’s it for now. I’ve got plenty more random butcher facts for you. But remember, this is Enlightened Omnivore. I’d love to hear more about what you want to read, and how we can learn together. Remember to like or comment on your favorite posts. And if you’re thinking about changing that free subscription to paid, it would be much appreciated.

Have a great weekend of cooking, and the next time you’re at the store, try something new. These’s so much food to experience, but remember, everything in moderation.