Lamb Scottadito
Note that the lamb needs to marinate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve with braised escarole.
2 pounds bone-in lamb chops, preferably rib chops
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt, to taste
5 anchovy fillets, preferably salt-packed
1/2 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked
olive oil, as needed
black pepper, to taste
extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, to finish
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Place a chop between two sheets of heavy plastic wrap. Use a mallet, bottom of a heavy skillet or something similar to pound the chop until it is 1/2-inch thick. Pound around the bone, the best you can. Repeat with the remaining chops. Set aside.
Crush the garlic cloves with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle or on a cutting board using the flat side of a knife, working the garlic and salt into a smooth paste.
Rinse and fillet the anchovies; mince the anchovies and rosemary together, add them to the garlic and continue to work until the paste is moderately smooth. If the paste is on a cutting board, transfer it to a small bowl. Add a splash of the olive oil to loosen it a bit.
Rub each chop with a generous amount of the paste. Season with an additional dusting of kosher salt and black pepper, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to two days.
To finish: Preheat grill to high and clean the grates. Reduce heat to medium and generously oil the grates. Grill the chops 5 minutes on each side for medium — 135-140F internal temperature — or longer if you like them more well done.
Transfer the meat to a serving platter or divide between 4 plates. Drizzle with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Season with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.
Serves 4.