Lamb Chops with Concord Grape Sauce

Ingredients

-8 lamb rib chops (about 2-1/2 lb.)
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-10 oz. (2 cups) Concord grapes
-2 Tbs. granulated sugar
-1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter
-1 medium shallot, minced (1/4 cup)
-2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
-2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
-1/4 cup ruby port
-1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
-2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Pat the lamb chops dry, generously season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, cook the grapes and sugar over medium-low heat, mashing with a wooden spoon until the grapes break down, about 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Rinse the saucepan, return the strained grape sauce to the pan, and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, thyme, and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the shallot is soft, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the port, and swirl until the sizzling stops. Return the pan to the heat and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Scrape into the grape sauce, stir in the lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter with 1 Tbs. of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 lamb chops and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil, and chops. Serve the chops with the warm sauce.
By finecooking