Sunday Forward — Classic Italian · Week 5
Grilled Lamb Chops & Duck Fat Potatoes
Lemon, rosemary & garlic marinade · two-zone charcoal fire · potatoes parboiled and roasted hard in duck fat
Charcoal Grill Special Occasion Gluten-Free Feeds 4
Grilled lamb loin chops plated alongside golden potatoes roasted in duck fat
4
Servings
1–2 hr
Marinate
70 min
Cook
Med-Rare
Target
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One Oven, One Grill, One Clock

These two dishes are on the same page because they’re cooked on the same clock. The potatoes need an hour in a hot oven; the chops need fifteen minutes over coals and ten minutes of rest. Get the potatoes in first, light the chimney about thirty minutes later, and everything lands on the table together. The method below is written as one timeline rather than two recipes.

The Lamb
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Star
Lamb Loin Chops
The loin cut is lean and tender — like a T-bone, but lamb. Ask the butcher to cut them 1 to 1¼ inches thick so they grill evenly.
8 chops (2¼–2½ lb)
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Marinade
Olive Oil
The base of the marinade — coats the chops and helps the herbs cling
4–5 Tbsp
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Marinade
Fresh Lemon Juice
Brightens the marinade and tenderizes a little. Save some of the lemon for a finishing squeeze after the rest.
2–3 Tbsp
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Marinade
Fresh Rosemary
Leaves picked and chopped. Rosemary is the classic lamb pairing — the resinous oils cut straight through the richness.
3–4 sprigs
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Marinade
Garlic
Thinly sliced, not minced — slices can be patted off before grilling so they don’t burn on the grate
2–3 cloves
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Season
Salt & Black Pepper
Applied after patting the chops dry, right before they hit the grate
to taste
The Potatoes
🥔
Star
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks — consistent size means an even cook. Yukon Golds have the right starch content for crisp outsides and creamy centers. Cooking them on their own, without the chops? The potatoes have their own page here.
4 lbs
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Fat
Duck Fat
The whole point of the dish. Higher smoke point than butter, richer flavor than olive oil. A neutral oil will work, but it won’t be the same potato.
5 Tbsp
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Herb
Fresh Rosemary
Picked and finely chopped, steeped into the fat so the flavor reaches every potato. Buy one bunch — it covers both the marinade and the fat.
2–3 sprigs
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Aromatic
Garlic
Sliced or minced and infused into the fat — keep the heat low enough that it softens without browning
3–4 cloves
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Season
Salt & Black Pepper
Salt the parboiling water generously, then season again when you toss them in the fat
to taste
Method
0 of 8 steps complete — click a step to check it off
11–2 hr out
Marinate the Chops
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped rosemary, and sliced garlic in a large zip-lock bag. Add the chops, seal, and massage to coat. Marinate 1–2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge — if it’s been in the fridge, bring it out 30 minutes before grilling.
2T−75
Oven to 450°F, Potatoes into Cold Water
Set the oven to 450°F — the high heat is non-negotiable, it’s what makes the crust. Put the potato chunks in a pot, cover with cold water, salt it generously, and bring to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes, until a knife slides in easily but they aren’t falling apart. Starting them in cold water is what cooks them evenly to the center.
3Meanwhile
Infuse the Duck Fat
While the potatoes boil, put the duck fat, rosemary, and sliced garlic in a small pan over medium-low heat and let the aromatics steep. If the garlic starts to brown, drop the heat — soft and fragrant is the goal, not toasted.
4T−65
Dry Them Out, Then Rough Them Up
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot over medium heat, shaking gently for 45 seconds to a minute until the surface moisture cooks off. This is the step everyone skips — don’t. Then pour the infused fat into a large bowl, add the potatoes, season, and toss hard enough that they scuff.
5T−60
Potatoes In — 50 to 60 Minutes
Spread them in a single layer on a sheet tray. Don’t crowd them. Roast at 450°F for 50–60 minutes, shaking the tray and turning them every 10–15 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp outside.
6T−30
Light the Chimney, Build a Two-Zone Fire
With about half an hour left on the potatoes, light a chimney of charcoal. Once it’s fully lit and ashed over, bank all the coals on one side of the grill — that gives you a direct-heat zone and a cool zone. Set the grate on, let it preheat 5 minutes, and oil it lightly.
7T−15
Sear Direct, Finish on the Cool Side
Pull the chops from the marinade and pat them completely dry — a dry surface is what sears. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat, flipping every minute, for 8–10 minutes total. Then move them to the cool side, cover, and give them another 3–5 minutes to reach medium-rare (130–135°F).
8Rest
Rest Ten Minutes, Then Everything at Once
Tent the chops loosely with foil and rest 10 minutes while the juices redistribute and carry-over cooking finishes the center. The potatoes will hold happily in a 250°F oven for that stretch without losing their crunch. Finish the chops with a squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper, taste for salt, and bring both to the table together.
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The Paste on the Bowl Is the Point

When you toss the potatoes in the fat and they leave a thick starchy smear behind in the bowl — that isn’t a mess, that’s the crust forming. Parboiling brings starch to the surface, and roughing that surface up gives the fat something to catch on. Don’t toss gently and don’t rinse the bowl until after.

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Pat Dry Before the Grill

Marinade left sitting on the surface will steam instead of sear, and the garlic slices will scorch on the grate. Paper towels, both sides, right before seasoning. It feels wasteful and it isn’t — the flavor already went into the meat during the marinade.

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Medium-Rare Is the Target

Lamb loin chops are at their best at 130–135°F and lose their tenderness past medium. The covered rest on the cool side is where you dial it in, and a thermometer earns its keep here — on a cut this expensive, guessing is the expensive option.

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Where to Find Duck Fat

Small jars, near the specialty meats, the charcuterie case, or sometimes shelved with the oils and vinegars. Butchers and specialty grocers reliably carry it. Once opened it keeps in the fridge for months, so one jar covers several dinners.