Lamb chops come off the rack, the run of ribs along the animal’s back, and somebody with a knife cuts them apart one bone at a time. That is the part most people miss: you are really buying a rack. We keep Australian lamb racks at the counter, eight bones to a rack and about a pound apiece, and we will cut yours into chops, french the bones, or leave it whole. Say what you want before it gets wrapped and you walk out with the right thickness instead of whatever the tray happened to hold.
Where Lamb Chops Come From, and Which Chop Is Which
Four cuts get sold under the word “chop”, and they do not cook the same way.
Rib chops are cut from the rack, between the ribs. One bone each, a neat round eye of meat, and the most tender lamb on the animal. Frenched, with the bone scraped clean, this is the lollipop chop off a restaurant plate.
Loin chops sit just behind the ribs and look like a tiny T-bone, loin on one side of the bone and tenderloin on the other. Meatier than a rib chop, cooked the same way.
Sirloin chops come from further back toward the hip. Bigger, cheaper, a little more chew, and worth marinating.
Shoulder chops are cut across the shoulder. Least expensive, and the most lamb-tasting of the four. They carry more connective tissue, so they want a sear and a slow finish rather than a straight run over high heat.
The rack is what lives in our case, so a rib chop is what you will take home most days. If you are after shoulder chops, we carry bone in lamb shoulder and can cut it across into chops for you. That request is routine, and our notes on custom butcher cuts cover what else you can ask for.
How to Ask for Lamb Chops at the Counter
Say how thick. An inch to an inch and a quarter for rib and loin chops. Thinner and there is no window between raw in the middle and grey all the way through.
Say frenched or not. Frenching means scraping the meat and fat off the last inch of bone so it comes out clean. It looks better on a plate and costs you a little meat. Either way, we need to know before the knife starts.
Say how many people. Chops are small. Plan on three rib chops a person, or two of the bigger loin or shoulder chops. A rack runs about a pound with eight bones on it, so one feeds two or three as a main.
Say how you are cooking them. Grill, cast iron and oven want three different thicknesses, and we cut for the method.
How to Cook Lamb Chops
Salt them early. An hour ahead on the counter is good, the night before in the fridge is better, and salting at the pan is never best. Our five secrets to perfectly seasoned meat gets into why timing matters more than amount. Dry them before they hit heat, too. Lamb carries enough surface moisture to steam itself grey, and a wet chop will not brown no matter how hot the pan is.
For rib and loin chops, hot and fast is the whole method. Two to three minutes a side over direct heat or in a ripping cast iron pan, with the fat edge stood up against the metal for a minute first so it renders instead of sitting there raw. Garlic, rosemary and a spoonful of butter in the last thirty seconds is the classic finish, and it is classic for a reason.
Pull them at 125°F for medium rare and rest five minutes, which carries them to about 130°F. Past 145°F the fat that makes it taste like lamb starts working against you, and that is where the “I do not like lamb” reputation mostly comes from.
Shoulder chops are the exception. Sear them hard both sides, drop the heat, add a splash of stock or wine, cover, and give them half an hour. You cook through the connective tissue rather than around it.
Cooking over coals? Our pit master notes go deeper on live fire, and a rack takes a two-zone setup well: indirect until it is close, then over the coals to finish. Lamb sits with the reds in our meat and wine pairing guide.
The Rest of the Lamb Worth Knowing About
Chops are the headline, but they are the most expensive way to eat lamb. Alongside the racks we carry ground lamb, lamb merguez sausage, bone in and boneless shoulder, boneless tied leg of lamb, sliced boneless leg, and hind shank cut osso buco style. Ground lamb makes better burgers than most people expect, and the shoulder is the cut for a long braise at a fraction of the rack price. Would rather not cook? Our catering menu runs off the same case.
Where to Buy Lamb Chops in Atlanta
Most searches for lamb chops near me end at a grocery case with two thin chops on a foam tray and nobody to ask about them. Your neighborhood butcher shop is a better answer: the rack is still whole when you get there, and the cutting happens after you have said what you need.
We are at 2030 Main Street NW in Riverside, open Mon–Fri 11am–7pm, Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–5pm. Lamb is sold by the pound, so tell us how many people you are feeding rather than how many pounds you want. You can order online for pickup and have it cut the way you want when you arrive, or get in touch to have racks held back for a weekend. Our guide to picanha covers another cut worth asking for by name, and there is more behind the counter on the butcher blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut are lamb chops?
Most lamb chops are rib chops, cut one bone at a time from the rack that runs along the back. Loin chops come from just behind the ribs and look like a small T-bone, sirloin chops from nearer the hip, and shoulder chops across the shoulder. Rib and loin chops are the tender ones. Shoulder chops have the strongest flavor.
How thick should lamb chops be cut?
An inch to an inch and a quarter for rib and loin chops. That is thick enough to get a hard sear on both sides while the center is still pink. Anything thinner overcooks before it browns, which is the most common way a good chop gets ruined.
What temperature should lamb chops be cooked to?
Pull them at 125°F and rest five minutes, which lands around 130°F for medium rare. Past 145°F the fat turns from the best part of the chop into the reason somebody says they do not like lamb.
Does Frazie’s cut lamb chops to order?
Yes. We carry Australian lamb racks, eight bones each and roughly a pound apiece, and we cut them into chops at whatever thickness you ask for, frenched or left alone. We can also cut chops across a bone in shoulder.