Lamb a scottadito is a typical second course in Roman cuisine, known for its tender meat and intense flavor that wins you over at the first bite. Lamb chops, simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs, are grilled or pan-fried over high heat until they form a golden, succulent crust.
The name "a scottadito" comes from the very way it is enjoyed: with your hands, still warm! Perfect for a rustic dinner party or Easter lunches, it is a quick dish to prepare but impressive.
1. Take the ribs out of the refrigerator about 1 hour or so before cooking them.
2. Beat them lightly with a meat tenderizer in the part where there is no bone, placing them between 2 sheets of baking paper.
3. Place extra virgin olive oil in an oven dish or bowl along with the garlic and rosemary. Dip the ribs in it, massage them well so that they soak up the oil and let them rest covered for about half an hour.
4. Heat a frying pan or griddle over high heat. When the griddle begins to smoke, lay and ribs on it.
5. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes per side (until they appear golden brown).
6. Serve them very hot, adjusting for salt and pepper.
Lamb scottadito: the secret is in the meat and oil
To make lamb scottadito, it is necessary to buybaby lamb chops(that is, slaughtered at a very young age, before it is weaned), also known as abbacchio, the only one that guarantees a tender and delicate result.
When purchasing it, pay attention to these details:
The meat should be homogeneous, without spots.
Its color should bevery light pink(if it were darker, it would mean that the lamb did not feed exclusively on milk, taking on a more pronounced taste).
The recipe for lamb scottadito calls for very few ingredients: one of the main ones, along with the meat, isextra virgin olive oil, which is essential to give the delicate lamb meat that extra touch of flavor.
Before putting them to cook, it is very important to drizzle the ribs withquality extra virgin olive oil, with a rather intense flavor, in which we will leave the meat to season for about half an hour. This step is essential to make the ribs more flavorful and juicy, and to prevent them from drying out too much during cooking.
We opted for Extra Virgin Olive OilIl Casolare Rustic Natural, unfiltered, made from carefully selected cultivars.
Thanks to its distinct fruity notes, this intensely flavored oil is perfect for giving an extra note of flavor to delicate lamb chops.
Cooking tips for lamb scottadito
Cooking lamb chops is not difficult, all you need is acast iron griddleor anonstick pan. For a perfect result, it is important:
Cook the meat at room temperature, and never as soon as it is taken out of the refrigerator (it would risk lowering the temperature of the plate too much).
Place the ribs on the fire only when the griddle is very hot (this will instantly form a crust on the surface of the meat, which is essential for sealing all the juices inside).
Do not prick the ribs with a fork during cooking, as piercing them would tend to cause the juices to escape.
Never overcook them, as they tend to harden: 2, maximum 3 minutes per side is more than enough.
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