Buying and lighting calculator · Lamb and rabbit
How much lamb rib chops do I buy and when do I light?
Milk-fed lamb rib chops, the «de palo» cut, are the most delicate part of the lamb: a small rib with a bite of tender meat and a little fat. They are sold by the kilo, with roughly 15 to 20 pieces per kilo depending on size, and people eat them with their fingers. Because the bone weighs nearly as much as the meat, we work with 400 g raw per person, about seven chops, which leaves around 200 g of meat. Cook them in the hottest part of the kamado, directly over the grate: they are so thin that they need only a few minutes a side. Season with coarse salt at the last moment and never walk away; they overshoot in a heartbeat.
How to ask for it
For 4 people: Ask for milk-fed lamb rib chops, cut along the rib, for 1.75 kg; about 7 per person if they weigh 50 to 60 g each.
Rib chops are mostly bone: half goes to bone and fat, so about 400 g raw gives you 200 g of meat. pull at 57 °C next to the bone; they climb to 63 °C while resting.
How we calculate it
We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.
To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.
Frequently asked questions
How many lamb chops per person?
About seven milk-fed lamb chops per person, 400 g raw. Half the weight goes to bone and fat, leaving about 200 g of meat on the plate. If they are bigger recental chops, four or five are enough. With starters or other dishes, you can drop to five.
How long do lamb chops take on the grill?
About 10 minutes in total at around 250 °C, directly on the grate, turning once. Pull them at 57 °C next to the bone and rest 5 minutes: they will reach 63 °C, the pink point. If they are very thin, 2 or 3 minutes a side is enough; if they are thicker, give them a little longer.
Lechal or recental chops?
Lechal chops are small, very tender and mild; they want strong heat and little time. Recental chops are bigger and more flavourful, and take a couple of minutes more. Count seven per person for lechal, four or five for recental.
Other Lamb and rabbit cuts
Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".