Start to finish: 40 minutes.
Servings: 4
For the sauce:
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
Eight trimmed, Frenched rib chops (about 2 ounces each)
Black pepper
In a small bowl combine the mint, parsley, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and salt; set aside.
Working with one chop at a time, sprinkle it generously on both sides with water. Place the chop in a large re-sealable bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the chop using either a meat pounder or a rolling pin until it is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat the procedure with the remaining chops. Pat them all dry.
In a large skillet heat half the remaining oil over high heat. Season half the chops with salt and pepper on both sides and add them to the pan. Saute until nicely browned, about 1 minute a side. Transfer to a platter and keep covered loosely with foil. Pour off the fat, add 1/4 cup water and simmer to clean the pan. Dump off the water and wipe out the skillet. Repeat the procedure with the remaining chops and the remaining oil. Transfer the chops to the platter and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving. Add any juices from the platter to the herb mixture.
To serve, transfer two chops to each of four plates and top each portion with a heaping spoonful of the mint herb sauce.
Nutrition information per serving: 515 calories; 424 calories from fat; 47 g fat (13 g saturated; 1 g transfats); 71 mg cholesterol; 380 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 20 g protein.
Sara Moulton, Associated Press
