Show your skillet some love with lamb chops, chicken thighs

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, December 4, 2019

By Addie Broyles / Austin American-Statesman

With the acquisition of one of my grandmother’s 10-inch cast-iron frying pan with a near Teflon-level of seasoning, I now have three heavy-bottomed skillets on my stove right now.

That’s a lot of skillets to keep out at all times, but I don’t have to explain myself to Anne Byrn.

Byrn, best known for her “Cake Mix Doctor” books, has a new cookbook out dedicated to cast-iron skillets called “Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake: More Than 150 Recipes in One Cast-Iron Pan” (Grand Central Publishing, $30) that will remind you of the joy and versatility of cooking in these hard-working, long-lasting and even multi-generational pans.

As a dessert specialist, the Nashville-based Byrn had to include a few cake and cookie recipes, but she also takes readers through breakfast, lunch and dinner with 150 recipes, from fried green tomatoes to frittatas and hamburgers and scalloped potatoes.

I most frequently use my cast-iron skillet to quickly sear meats. Sausages, steaks and pork chops, I’ll cook entirely in the pan, but other cuts, like pork tenderloin, I’ll finish in the oven.

Seared lamb chops with tomato and mint slaw

This recipe for lamb chops calls for cooking them in batches in the skillet and then serving them with a tomato and mint slaw. You could serve this main dish with hummus and pita bread, couscous or roasted cauliflower.

8 small rib or loin lamb chops (1½ to 2 pounds total)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Harissa seasoning

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the tomato and mint slaw:

1½ cups halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes or quartered small plum tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup packed fresh mint leaves, bruised and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Plain full-fat yogurt, for garnish

Put the lamb chops in a single layer in a 13-by-9-inch glass dish. Season both sides with the garlic, salt, pepper and harissa.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable oil to the pan. When it is hot, sear half of the lamb chops until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Do not move the lamb chops while they sear on each side. With tongs, pick up each lamb chop and sear around the edges. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb chops.

For the slaw, put the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the mint leaves and lime juice. Drizzle in the olive oil and add the pepper flakes. Toss to coat.

Garnish the lamb chops with fresh mint sprigs. Serve with the slaw alongside, plus a dollop of yogurt. Serves 3 to 4.

Sticky chicken thighs with ginger and garlic

This recipe for chicken thighs first calls for marinating and then basting the meat in a mixture of honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. You could serve it as a main dish with or oven-roasted root vegetables like Brussels sprouts, red potatoes, carrots and shallots.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

½ cup honey

½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

Steamed white rice, for serving

Green onion slivers, for garnish

Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat, and put them in a medium glass bowl or zip-top bag.

In small bowl, whisk together the honey and soy sauce. Fold in the garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour chicken and marinade into a 12-inch skillet. Tuck edges of chicken under to form rounded thighs that dome in the center. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet and turn the chicken, basting with the pan juices. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and place over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Let chicken and marinade simmer, turning chicken every 2 or 3 minutes until the marinade thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken will have turned a mahogany color, and the juices will be syrupy and sticky. Serve with rice and garnish with slivers of green onion. Serves 6.

— From “Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake: More Than 150 Recipes in One Cast-Iron Pan” by Anne Byrn (Grand Central Publishing, $30)