Nothing says spring like a simple meal of lamb chops and new potatoes.

This easy recipe will have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes and just a handful of ingredients.

You can use any sort of lamb chop for this recipe, but tender rib chops, cut from a trimmed rack will probably be the easiest to find. Shoulder chops are less expensive, but they also have more bones and fat on them, so will take longer to cook. I purchased this lamb from Leevers Locavore in an effort to support Colorado-based farms.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 6 lamb rib chops
• 2 T. salted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1/4 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Season both sides of the lamb chops with salt and pepper and refrigerate them until ready to cook (this will keep them from getting overcooked later). In a small bowl, combine one tablespoon of the butter with the rosemary and garlic. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Set a cast-iron skillet (or a heavy-bottomed frying pan) over medium heat and melt the reserved tablespoon of butter. Let the pan get nice and hot; it's fine if the butter browns a little. Set the lamb chops in the pan, being careful not to over-crowd them, and top each one with a dollop of the herbed butter.

Cook the lamb chops for about 3 minutes on each side so they end up a perfect just-under medium. Watch the thinner chops; they may take slightly less time. That's all there is to it!

Photo by Tony Petrocelly

Variations

• You can make compound butter with any combination of herbs and softened butter. If you don't have fresh garlic and rosemary, dried is just fine. Try it with a bit of smoked salt or smoked paprika if you have it. It's also great on a grilled steak or pork chop as well.
• If you prefer to lighten this up, then start the cooking process with just a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil instead of the tablespoon of butter.

One of the best things to serve with lamb chops like this is a bowl of buttered new potatoes. Simply rinse a pound or so of baby potatoes (I used a mix of red and Yukon gold), then boil them in salted water for about 20 minutes (less if they're really small). They just need a touch of butter and a sprinkling of salt and pepper for seasoning. I also served my lamb chops with some freshly spiralized zucchini that I sautéed with a bit of olive oil.

Do you have a favorite method for cooking lamb chops? Share your tips in the comments!