There’s absolutely nothing fancy about these lamb chops. They’re not much to look at, but oh my gosh do they taste good. This dish was around long before food photography was even a thing!
For as long as I can remember, Mum has made these chops and Corks has many a happy memory eating this meal at his family table too. Even Grandma Betty used to make these chops; growing up on a sheep property, lamb was always on the menu!
Forequarter chops are the largest; cut from the shoulder, they contain more fat throughout than a loin chop or cutlet. The extra fat means that they’re the perfect cut for slow cooking, resulting in a tender meat that falls off the bone. They’re also more affordable and seriously easy to cook.
I know a good mate Farls was given a similar recipe by her mother in law, Mary, which she in turn passed on to Lizard. And so the recipe sharing cycle continues. It stems from the old Australian Women’s Weekly and they’re lots of different names given to the dish. ‘Brown chops’, ‘savoury chops’, ‘slow cooked chops’. Call them whatever you like. They will taste just as good, no matter what you decide on.
The other great thing about these chops is that my girls love them. Served with mash and veggies – they make for a delicious and well rounded meal for the kiddies. Cork Daddy’s absolute favourite – it is the ultimate comfort food dish. When I started writing this blog, his one request was for me to include this recipe.
The weather has started to turn, there’s a chill in the air. Footy training has begun – so it might be time for you to bust out this oldie but goodie of a dish. Let’s keep this recipe going for many more years to come.
slow cooked lamb chops (serves 2 adults + 2 kids)
8 large forequarter lamb chops (a little over a kilo)
4 heaped tablespoons of tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 heaped tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of mustard powder
1 cup water
Garlic salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons of plain flour, for dusting the chops
A couple of tablespoons of olive oil, for frying the chops
Mashed potato and vegetables, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Season the lamb chops with the garlic salt, pepper and a dusting of flour.
- In a heavy based casserole dish, add a good glug of olive oil and brown 4 of the chops on both sides. Reserve these chops and repeat with the remaining chops.
- Mix the tomato sauce, vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, sugar, curry powder, water, ground ginger and mustard powder in a small bowl.
- Add the marinade mixture to the casserole dish and let it cook for a minute. (You want to stir with a wooden spoon and collect all of the gnarly bits on the base of the pan as this is flavour!)
- Layer the chops in two layers in the dish. (They won’t be completely covered with liquid but that’s ok).
- Pop the lid on and cook for 1 hour in the oven. (I set a timer on my phone so that I don’t forget about them).
- After the first hour, carefully take the casserole dish out of the oven and turn all of the chops over so that the ones that were sitting on top, are now on the bottom and vice versa. (Add a splash of water if they are looking a little dry).
- Pop back in the oven and cook for another hour.
- The lamb chops are cooked when they are falling off the bone completely. Serve the chops with the spooned gravy over the top.
Serve with mashed potato and steamed veggies.
Lo’s tips
- You can easily make these chops in the slow cooker too. (Which I do when I have the time). Simply brown the chops as per the recipe above and then place the chops and marinade in to a slow cooker. Heat on high for 6 hours, rotating the chops half way through the cooking process.
Dust the chops with plain flour and season with salt and pepper. (I’ve used garlic salt).
Brown the meat on both sides.
The marinade is so easy to make. Simply stir all ingredients together in a bowl.
Add the marinade to the same pot that the chops were browned in.
Add the chops to the marinade.
In to the oven for 2 hours. (I rotate the chops after an hour to ensure that they are all evenly cooked).
Great family meal that everyone can eat.
Comfort food at it’s best.
If you’re lucky, there may be some leftovers. If you’re lucky.
If you make these lamb chops, please leave your comments below or send a pic to me here so that I can share it on the blog. xx
This has become a regular in our home – one of your best! Everyone looks forward to ‘Lo’s Chops’. Thanks for sharing this ripper recipe.
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Glad it goes down well Liz. Thanks for letting me know xx
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Loved this! So tasty. Also loved my husband’s face when he walked in the door at the end of a long, cold autumn day and the house was filled with the delicious smell of this in the oven 🙂
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I’m really glad this recipe worked for you. A great one for the blokes isn’t it! Thanks for sharing.
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This recipe is incredible!
The tastiest chops I’ve ever eaten.
All the ingredients are already in your cupboard.
Yum ++
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I’m so glad you like this Julia. Thanks for sharing. x
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WOW. This is up there with your salmon in a bag recipe! I didn’t have any white vinegar or garlic salt but it didn’t matter in the slightest. I have made a similar recipe in an electric frypan, but slow cooking it in the oven makes the world of difference. Easy and absolutely delicious – this earned me some brownie points! The meat fell off the bone and it didn’t matter in the slightest that the bottom of the casserole dish got pretty burnt while I was preparing the sauce (oops) – it made it even better.
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Oh how great! I’m glad it went well. You’ve made me want to make them too 🤣
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