Lamb Chops with Cherry Mint Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 Colorado lamb chops
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Cherry Mint Sauce, recipe follows
• 6 fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Rinse lamb chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the lamb chops in a large resealable plastic bag and add olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat your grill. Remove the lamb chops from the plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb chops on the grill at a 45 degree angle to establish nice grill marks. Once the internal temperature has reached 135 to 140 degrees, remove the lamb chops from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Spoon the Cherry Mint Sauce over the meat and serve with mashed potatoes and string beans, if desired. Garnish each plate with a sprig of mint.

Cherry Mint Sauce:

2 cups dried cherries

4 cups cabernet

2 cups mint stems

1 cup mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/8 cup cornstarch

Place cherries, wine, and mint stems in a large skillet and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by 2/3 and then remove stems. Whisk in chopped mint and sugar. In a small bowl, mix together water and cornstarch to form a slurry, and then add to the cherry sauce. Cook the sauce until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.