Serves: 4
Total Calories: 167

FOR THE LAMB AND MARINADE:
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon water, warm
2 cups plain yogurt, whole-milk
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
1 onion, medium, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons peppercorns, cracked black
2 tablespoons orange peel, candied, or 4 strips orange zest (each 2 x 1/2 inches)
8 rib lamb chops, doubled, (each about 5 to 6 ounces and 2 inches thick)
FOR THE SAFFRON BASTING SAUCE:
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon water, warm
3 tablespoons butter, salted
3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

1. Prepare the marinade. Place the saffron in a large, deep nonreactive bowl and grind to a fine powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Add the warm water, stir, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, onion, garlic, peppercorns, and orange peel to the dissolved saffron and stir to mix. Add the lamb chops and make sure they are completely submerged in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 24 to 48 hours (the longer the better).

3. Preheat the grill to high.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the saffron basting sauce. Place the saffron in a small, heavy nonreactive saucepan and grind it to a fine powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Add the warm water, stir, and let stand for 10 minutes. Add the butter and lemon juice to the dissolved saffron and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is blended and heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. When ready to cook, remove the chops from the marinade, season with salt and pepper. Oil the grill grate, then arrange the chops on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium-well, which is how Iranians like their lamb ("It’s more tender that way," explains Najmieh). Brush the chops several times as they cook with the saffron basting sauce.

6. Transfer the chops to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 167
Calories from Fat: 75

More Recipes from the The Barbecue Bible Cookbook:
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Armenian Shish Kebab
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Lamb With Onion-Mustard Sauce / Dibi
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Mexican Pit-Barbecued Lamb / Barbacoa
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Roisseried Leg of Lamb With Lemon and Butter
Souvlaki Flambeed With Metaxa
The Real Turkish Shish Kebab