Topic: Tandoori lamb chops vs Meat tenderiser powder

[Kashmiri Bob]

Made some Tandoori lamb chops over the weekend using mutton chops. Under 4 quid a kilo.  Went with two marinades.  First with meat tenderizer powder/lemon juice, for an hour or so, and then rubbed with smoked paprika, before 48 hours in a mix of sunflower/mustard oil, Patak's Tandoori curry paste, Coleman's jar mustard, white pepper, more lemon juice, yoghurt, Kashmiri mirch, and set honey.








Grilled a tester after 4 hours and felt it needed more chilli.  Whizzed up some fresh green chilli paste and mixed it in for the remaining soak.



Improvised microwave grill set-up. Not ideal but best I could come up with.  Have a Smeg oven with grill, but it's no good for grilling.  Pic shows state of affairs after about 5 mins.  Ended up about 7 mins each side.







First batch cooling down.







A few out of the fridge and reheated in the oven (very hot) for 5 mins.  I like em burned around the edges.
 






Verdict.  Perfect BIR lambchos.  Can't remember the last time I had any this good, from anywhere.  Top drawer.  Tasty, juicy, and exactly the right texture/bite.  Out of this World. Gorgeous.  I'll have to make them again, but have a feeling that without the tenderiser (salt/papain) these mutton chops would have been shoe-insole tough, and possibly stringy, to boot. 

Think next time I might add a little red.  The decorative "juice" dots in the last pic didn't work so well, as they quickly set rock solid, but I'll get around this in future by warming the plate first.  Might actually go sizzler/shashlik instead.  I wonder how lamb/mutton tikka with fair with the tenderiser powder?

Rob 

[Razor]

Hi Bob,

Without doubt my fave starter and look's very close to my local's T/Chops. Will be sure to give these a go at the weekend.

Ray 

[mickdabass]

Hi Rob

Did you think the meat tenderiser did any good?

Ive tried lots of things but found the best thing was GBH with a tenderising mallet lol

Regards Mick

[Garp]

That looks stunning, as always Rob.

Not something I've tried, but might after seeing those.

Great stuff again 

[Kashmiri Bob]

Hi Rob

Did you think the meat tenderiser did any good?

Ive tried lots of things but found the best thing was GBH with a tenderising mallet lol

Regards Mick

I think most likely made a vast difference Mick.  I'll try with/without at some point to be sure. Most of the Asian shops here stock it.  Good butcher I go to, but can't see grilled mutton chops as they are working out. Too fibrous and not enough fat.  There's a suggested recipe on the back of the packet for Jeera lamb.  Reckons on 1 tbsp for 500 g of stewing lamb.  I used a good tbsp for about 800 g of the chops.  No additional salt. Forgot to say that the first marinade included G/G paste.  These chops were so BIR though.  The texture really stood out. 

Will be interesting to see how it goes with leg mutton for tikka.  Never had any real issues with lamb chops, but expect a few of us have struggled with lamb tikka, even using top quality lamb leg meat.  Indeed, tender tikka from TA/restaurants seems a bit of a rarity these days in my experience.  Felt the lamb tikka we had recently at the Adil as a starter for example was also very much on the chewy side. My local TA does actually use lamb for their lamb tikka.  I know exactly where they get it from.  It's frozen New Zealand lamb, leg/thigh cut I think.  It's not cheap. Comes plastic wrapped in 18 inch lengths, tikka chunk width. All they have to do with it is strip of a bit of surface "connective" tissue, chop it into fillets, and it's ready for an overnight marinade.  Cooked in a tandoor of course. Sort of OK, but aside from their fairly standard yoghurt/paste marinade, which is not really my cuppa, their tikka often turns out a bit chewy, and to be honest not that great.  One of the previous chefs there has told me that mutton can be used for tikka, using fresh papaya to tenderise.  He did say that you have to be careful with it though (amount/time) as the meat can go too far, and the texture is spoiled.  I'll give it a go with the powder.

Rob 

[mickdabass]

Kiwi fruit is another good tenderiser as Im sure you already know, but you do have to be careful with it going too far too! I find tandoori lamb chops are mostly ok without tenderiser - depending on your personal choice of marinade I suppose.

Your pics are making my stomach rumble........big time

[curryhell]

Far too many pics of great looking food have appeared over the last couple of days    Jb's and my local BIR use frozen karela as a  tenderiser for lamb / mutton.  Must try and find out exactly how they use it 

[JerryM]

real interesting read.

i've not found lamb brill in any BIR - the tenderness not the flavour.

i have tried the kewi fruit on pork and it does work but did not follow up.

the meat tenderiser sounds interesting particularly for tikka if it could get to chicken tenderness

ps paying 6.5 kg mutton leg boned and diced

[Kashmiri Bob]

Think there is definitely mileage in the powdered tenderiser Jerry.  Set this one going last night:

Beef tikka





500 g of lean casserole beef!  Just had a tester.  Very nice, still a bit chewy, but not much.  Too salty so will have to be careful with the amount added.  Thinking about 1 tbsp max per kilo, ball park.  Will cook the rest tomorrow and post pics. But the tester wasn't bad.  I've had best rump steak a lot worse.  Casserole beef under the grill would normally need an angle grinder to cut through it me thinks.

Rob 

[976bar]

A few out of the fridge and reheated in the oven (very hot) for 5 mins.  I like em burned around the edges.

Strewth Mate....Burned around the edges? They look as though they have been napalmed in the Vietnamese war!!! lol

I am sure they taste great, but lamb does not need that kind of heat treatment. Have you tried cooking them at a lower temperature which will keep them moist?

We tend to seal them on a BBQ for that real nice BBQ taste, but then finish them off in the oven at around 160 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Result? Wonderful BBQ lamb flavour but nice and moist on the inside