Breaded Montargil Lamb Chops

Montargil breaded lamb chops combine the flavour of the meat with garlic and lemon and a thin breadcrumb crust. After marinating, they are dipped in beaten egg and fried in lard until golden. Serve them freshly made, while the coating is crisp.

A recipe from Montargil

The Alentejo Gastronomic Guide records this recipe in Montargil, in the municipality of Ponte de Sor, in an interview with Adelina Martins. The source associates it with weddings and mentions brain migas as an accompaniment. The chops are simply prepared: season with salt, lemon and garlic, leave to rest, coat in breadcrumbs and fry in lard.

Estimated servings: 4 people
Approximate time: 35 to 45 minutes, plus 2 to 4 hours for marinating

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in lamb chops, about 800 g, 1.5 to 2 cm thick
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 60 ml lemon juice
• 4 g salt
• 2 eggs
• 150 g breadcrumbs, using only as much as needed for a thin coating
• About 300 g lard for frying in a 24 to 26 cm frying pan

Step-by-step preparation

1. Season and marinate.
   Place the chops in a container, add the garlic, lemon juice and salt, and coat both sides. Cover and leave in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours, turning halfway through. The marinade should season the meat; it should not be left on the counter all night.
2. Drain and prepare the coating.
   Remove the chops from the marinade and take off the garlic slices so they do not burn during frying. Drain well and pat the surface lightly with kitchen paper. Beat the eggs in a deep plate and put the breadcrumbs in another plate. Do not reuse the raw marinade for serving.
3. Coat in egg and breadcrumbs.
   Dip each chop in the egg, let the excess drip off and coat in breadcrumbs. Press lightly onto the meat only to help a thin layer adhere, without forming a very thick crust. Place on a clean plate while the fat heats.
4. Heat the lard.
   Melt the lard in a deep-sided frying pan and heat over medium heat, ideally to between 165 and 170 °C, without letting it smoke. There should be enough to form a layer about 0.5 to 1 cm deep, adjusting for the size of the pan. A little breadcrumb should bubble and brown gradually, not darken straight away.
5. Fry in small batches.
   Add two or three chops at a time without overlapping them. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, turning them with tongs. The coating should be golden and the meat cooked through in the centre. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part, without touching the bone, helps check doneness; for well-done meat, aim for about 70 °C. If the crust darkens before the meat is ready, reduce the heat. Let the fat return to temperature between batches.
6. Drain and serve.
   Transfer to paper towels or a wire rack set over a tray and leave to drain briefly. Serve straight away, without covering with a lid that traps steam and softens the coating.

The secret is a thin crust

Drain the meat before coating it and remove any excess egg. A thin layer of breadcrumbs browns more evenly. Do not overcrowd the pan or turn the heat up too high to speed things up: the outside may burn before the centre is cooked.

Wine and starters

To accompany the dish, we suggest EA Tinto Reserva 2023 – Alentejo Regional Wine. The bottle shown in the image is the wine chosen to serve at the table, not an ingredient in the marinade.

To start the meal, you can serve a small portion of Torresmos Rissol de Porco Preto de Campo, 180 g on the side. This is a separate starter suggestion, not frying fat or a substitute for lard. These selections are recommendations from Herdade do Estacal.

Make-ahead preparation

Leave the chops to marinate in the fridge and prepare the coating close to frying time. Fry them just before serving to preserve their texture. If you have any cooked meat left over, cool it promptly and store it covered in the fridge; the crust will lose some of its texture when reheated.

More flavours of the Alentejo

For another way to prepare lamb, try our Oven-Roasted Lamb with Baby Potatoes and Pennyroyal.

Source and adaptations

Alentejo Gastronomic Guide (2013), p. 370, “Breaded Lamb Chops”, Montargil, Ponte de Sor. Interview with Adelina Martins by Teresa Simão, Leader-Sor, in 2012.

Recipe collected in the Alentejo and adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. We kept the chops seasoned with salt, lemon and garlic, the rest period of a few hours, the coating in egg and breadcrumbs, and frying in lard. The source does not specify quantities: we set out suggested measurements for four people, meat thickness, marinating time and frying instructions. Yield and timings are estimates. The wine and pork crackling served as a starter are our suggestions.

Illustrative image generated for this article, with the pairing wine as a visual reference.