Joel Gott 2006 Cab Meets Lamb Shoulder Chops

I spontaneously decided to cook up dinner for about-to-be-wed friends Steve Zeller and Dana Weisberg the other night.
Steve’s request: “Some kind of chop.”
Looking through the best “chop” pairing offerings at Beacon Wines, we came across Joel Gott’s 2006 815 Cabernet Sauvignon. Having previously been a tremendous fan of both his Zinfandels and his previous Cabs, I had been disappointed that production was relatively limited, and Beacon had sold out of both wines within weeks. Would this Cab exceed my great experience with the previous one?

The Photos

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The Cab

Fortunately, this Cab had even more going for it. Deep garnet in color, it had definite notes of tea and spice on the nose. After a few minutes, it yielded distinct pepper and blackberry notes, with silky tannins on the palate.
At just under $20, this is a well-priced wine that consistently delivers Quality for the Price.
Michele Rating: 4.5/5

Preparing the Chops

If you’ve never cooked them before, lamb shoulder chops are something of a challenge to cook; considerable fat, gristle, and rib remnants cling persistently to the imperfect steak, with a bulls-eye center of bone.

The Marinade

Traditionally, in Italy, we rely on very, very few ingredients, relying instead on having the freshest, best ingredients shine through (Much more on this in subsequent posts)

• Two Sprigs of Fresh rosemary
• 4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced Thickly
• 1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon of coarse sea salt

That’s it.

Preparation

Some people like to put something with vinegar (mustard, capers), or some actual vinegar, however, I don’t personally like the taste of vinegar at all, so that option would not be part of this dish.
I also believe in personally massaging the marinade into the chops. After a couple of minutes, evenly distributing the seasoning over the chops, they were ready to prepare for cooking.
Being relatively thick (one inch or so), I chose to continue to work with my evolving technique (which I learned from my boss, Rick Robinson, of Strategic Domain) of heating the meat in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes prior to grilling (or, in this case, cooking on top of the stove). Only in this way, can you get a masterful medium-rare inside that’s still heated through. (Read more here for the full technique.)

Cooking

Placing a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over high heat, I seared the chops on both sides, and then placed some of the Cab into the pan to de-glaze and create a bit of a sauce. As the flame was high, I had to keep them moving, in order to caramelize but not burn the abundant slivers of garlic covering the chops.

Plating

Pairing with Earth Bound Farm’s Baby Arugula, lightly drizzled with Fairway’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a small squeeze of lemon (no vinegar!), the resulting dish was both appealing, and a nice contrast of warm and cool, seared red & bright green. The chops came out rare, although fully heated through.

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