Lamb Chops with Gorgonzola

Grilled lamb chops with a blue cheese pan sauce that punches above its weight. The chops cook fast over direct heat, getting that mahogany char on the outside while staying rosy in the middle, and the bones get a foil cap to keep them from charring black. Meanwhile the sauce builds in a small pot: white wine reduces hard, then heavy cream pulls it together, and crumbled gorgonzola melts in to give the whole thing a salty, funky lift.

Whisking the cold butter in at the end is the texture trick. That hit of cold fat into a hot reduction emulsifies everything into a glossy, spoon-coating sauce instead of a broken oil slick. Spoon it warm over the chops just before serving, with horseradish mashed potatoes underneath to catch the runoff.

Chef Tips

• Pull the chops from the fridge 30 minutes before grilling so they cook evenly
• Foil-wrap the bone tips so they do not blacken on the grill, a standard rack-of-lamb move
• Use a sharp blue cheese; gorgonzola dolce is too mild here, and the wine and cream tame the funk
• Reduce the wine until almost syrupy before adding cream, otherwise the sauce stays loose
• Rest the chops 5 minutes after grilling so the juices stay in the meat instead of on the cutting board

Variations

• Swap gorgonzola for Stilton or Roquefort for a slightly different blue character
• Use red wine instead of white for a deeper, beefier sauce
• Stir in a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves with the cream for an herby finish