Inspiration: One of my favorite things about being in a meat CSA is digging through our share to find a cut that I’m really excited about. Before we joined the CSA, I bought my meat at Whole Foods, and it was rare for me to purchase cuts on the more expensive side like lamb, bison, etc. So when we randomly receive them in our CSA share, it makes for a great surprise. Of course, I get excited when we have more than one package of ground beef, too, because that means more burgers for me :)

What we Loved: My favorite thing about this meal was that it was so different. When the sauce was finished, I told Brandon that I had never put something of that color on the plate in my kitchen before – and I love that. And not only was the sauce pretty, but it tasted fantastic. The red wine, onions, and garlic lent a prominent and rich savory flavor that matched so well with the tart and delicious blueberries and balsamic. Lamb is one of my favorite meats because of its rich and strong savory flavor, so I thought that the decadent sauce was really a perfect pairing. With some mashed cauliflower with Parmesan and onions on the side, I think I would best describe this as a fancy comfort dish.

Helpful Hints: While it may not make for as pretty of a plate, I might recommend putting the blueberry sauce in a sauce dish for dipping. It sure was hard to figure out how to cut around the bones with that dark sauce on top.

Lamb Chops with Blueberry Pan Sauce

Source: Adapted from Mike’s Table to serve 2

4 lamb chops
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Take the lamb chops out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to let them come to room temperature. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the lamb chops, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side to brown.

3. Move the lamb chops to a baking dish, and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of one of the chops. For medium, bake at 400 degrees until the lamb reaches 140 degrees, approximately 6-10 minutes. When the lamb chops are done, remove them from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

4. While the lamb is cooking, make the sauce. Add the onions to the saute pan that you browned the lamb in, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and cook until reduced by half. Add the blueberries and balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Puree the sauce in a food processor until smooth.

5. Serve the lamb chops with the blueberry sauce.