Porterhouse of Lamb with Corn & Pepper Chow

This is Southern grilling at its most polished. Thick-cut porterhouse lamb chops get nothing more than salt and pepper before hitting a pecan wood grill for about 10 minutes total. The pecan smoke adds a subtle, sweet nuttiness that complements lamb in a way hickory or mesquite can’t match.

The star accompaniment is a proper chow chow: diced green tomatoes, tri-color bell peppers, jalapeños, and onion salted and refrigerated overnight to draw out excess moisture, then boiled briefly and drained. A tangy vinegar sauce spiked with mustard, rosemary, sugar, and flour gets tossed with the drained vegetables and grilled corn kernels cut from the cob.

That overnight salt-and-drain step is what makes a real chow chow. It firms up the vegetables so they stay crunchy in the sauce rather than going soft and waterlogged. The contrast of cold, tangy, crunchy relish against hot, smoky lamb chops is what makes this plate sing.

Chef Tips

• Grill over pecan wood if you can. If not, oak or fruitwood (apple, cherry) are the closest substitutes
• Six minutes on the first side, four and a half on the flip gives you medium-rare to medium for standard-cut lamb chops
• Salt the chow chow vegetables overnight as directed. This critical step pulls moisture and concentrates flavor
• Boil the drained vegetables for only 8 minutes. You want crisp, not cooked through

Variations

• Use beef porterhouse or thick-cut pork chops if lamb isn’t available
• Swap jalapeños for habanero for a hotter chow chow
• Serve the chow chow cold as a stand-alone condiment alongside grilled sausages or pulled pork