Lamb Cutlets pan fried with tomato, basil and green beans is a simple and fresh summer dinner.
I’ve made these Lamb Cutlets with Tomato Sugo a lot, because they're so tasty, healthy, fresh and simple.
How to make Lamb Cutlets with Tomato Sugo
We start by bringing the lamb cutlets to room temperature by popping them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and setting them aside while we prepare our vegetables.
We roughly chop our basil (remove any thick stalks, but keep tender ones in as they add flavour), trim beans and slice tomatoes.
We’ll pan fry our lamb for just 2-3 minutes each side (you can cook for more or less, depending on how thick your cutlets are and how well you liked them cooked), and then set aside to rest.
Then add butter and oil to the frying pan (don’t skip this, it’s just a little bit of butter and oil but it makes the tomatoes taste so, SO good), and then add tomatoes. Once they look soft, add garlic, maple syrup and basil and stir through. The maple syrup is also key - this gives this very subtle sweetness that makes the basil really pop. If you don’t have maple syrup you can use brown sugar or plain sugar instead.
Meanwhile, we will have boiled our green beans for just a minute.
Serve beans with tomato sugo and top with lamb cutlets, then add some lovely crusty bread to the side.
What is Tomato Sugo?
Tomato Sugo is a sauce of tomatoes, basil and garlic. We’re adding just a tiny bit of sweetness to ours with maple syrup and it really brings out that rich tomato flavour.
Are lamb chops and lamb cutlets the same?
Lamb cutlets are very similar to lamb chops, but in a cutlet the fat has been cut away from the bone (like a frenched rack of lamb). You can use either cutlets or chops in this recipe. I was in the UK when I made this and I bought a rack of lamb and then sliced it into cutlets.
How do I make lamb cutlets tender?
It’s really important to bring the lamb to room temperature before you put on a hot pan, or it will seize up, just like our muscles do if we go exercise without warming up. Another thing you can do if you want is to coat lamb in a fine layer of bicarb soda, this is called velveting the lamb, but it’s not necessary in this dish as cutlets or chops are a tender cut of meat.
How long should Lamb cutlets be cooked for??
On a hot pan or BBQ, you only need to cook room temperature lamb cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side, and you’ll have beautifully medium-rare cutlets.
Lamb Cutlets Ingredients
- Lamb - I used lamb cutlets, but you can also use lamb chops. Make sure to take them out of the fridge to bring to room temperature, and cover in olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Tomato Sugo - tomatoes - I used heirloom baby tomatoes (mixed yellow and red), garlic, basil and maple syrup.
- Greens - I used green beans, but you can use any crisp greens.
- Bread - use a fresh baguette or crusty bread to serve with it.
How to make Lamb Cutlets
1. Place cutlets in a bowl with oil and mix to coat well. Hold the salt and pepper for later.
- 8-12 lamb cutlets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. Halve red and yellow baby tomatoes. Rinse basil, remove thicker stalks and discard, then roughly chop thinner stalks and leaves. Top and tail green beans. Roughly chop garlic.
- 600g mixed heirloom tomatoes (red and yellow)
- ½ bunch basil
- 300g green beans
- 2 cloves garlic
3. Place a medium saucepan of water on to boil.
4. Place a griddle pan or frying pan on high heat (alternatively you can BBQ the lamb). Cook lamb for 3 minutes, turn, then cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Take off the heat and rest.
5. Add the green beans to boiling water and cook for 1 minute, then drain.
- 300g green beans
6. Add butter and oil to the hot pan and heat until butter is bubbling. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they start to soften.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 600g mixed heirloom tomatoes
7. Add maple syrup and basil and turn off the heat and stir through the pan. Let sit until time to serve.
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ bunch basil
8. To serve, place beans on the plate, add a spoonful of sauce then place cutlets on top, then add more sauce.
For kids, you can cut the meat away from the bone if it is easier for them, although little ones often like to hold in their hands.
For adults, season well with salt and pepper.
Serve with crusty bread.
- Salt and pepper
- ½ baguette
Top tip
While you might wonder why we need butter and maple syrup in the Sugo, we’re just using a little and it’ll have a big impact on the flavour - don’t skip it. Butter gives the tomatoes a richness and the maple syrup balances the acidity of the tomatoes and brings out the flavour of the garlic and basil.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - Swap lamb cutlets for chicken or steak.
- Vegetarian - Swap lamb for halloumi slices, or white beans, tofu or beyond beef.
- Dairy Free - Replace the butter with a little more olive oil to make this dairy free.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten free bread.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Serve lamb, tomatoes and green beans separately.
- Option to serve tomatoes fresh (not cooked).
Equipment
You will need a saucepan, a stovetop, a griddle or frying pan (or BBQ).
More Lamb Recipes
If you like lamb, you should try
Recipe
Lamb Cutlets with Tomato Sugo
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Stovetop
- Griddle or frying pan or BBQ
Ingredients
- 8-12 lamb cutlets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 600 g mixed heirloom tomatoes red and yellow
- ½ bunch basil
- 300 g green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ baguette
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place cutlets in a bowl with oil and mix to coat well.8-12 lamb cutlets, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Halve red and yellow baby tomatoes. Rinse basil, remove thicker stalks and discard, then roughly chop thinner stalks and leaves. Top and tail green beans. Roughly chop garlic.600 g mixed heirloom tomatoes, ½ bunch basil, 300 g green beans, 2 cloves garlic
- Place a medium saucepan of water on to boil.
- Place a griddle pan or frying pan on high heat (alternatively you can BBQ the lamb). Cook lamb for 3 minutes, turn, then cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Take off the heat and rest.
- Add the green beans to boiling water and cook for 1 minute, then drain.300 g green beans
- Add butter and 1 tablespoon oil to the hot pan and heat until butter is bubbling. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they start to soften.600 g mixed heirloom tomatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add maple syrup and basil and turn off the heat and stir through the pan. Let sit until time to serve.½ bunch basil, 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- To serve, place beans on the plate, add a spoonful of sauce then place cutlets on top, then add more sauce.For kids, you can cut the meat away from the bone if it is easier for them, although little ones often like to hold in their hands.For adults, season well with salt and pepper.Serve with crusty bread.½ baguette, Salt and pepper
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