Korean Gochujang Lamb Chops

Ingredients

• 8 lamb chops, about 100g each
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 15 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 x 250g pre-cooked jasmine rice pouches
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Whisk the gochujang, soy, honey, sesame oil, grated garlic and ginger into a glossy red marinade. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper, then toss them in most of the marinade — hold back a couple of spoonfuls in a small bowl for the pan sauce later. Leave the chops to sit for 15 minutes while you get everything else ready; any longer and the raw garlic in the marinade can turn harsh.
2. Toss the cucumber slices with the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Leave to pickle while you cook — in 10 minutes they'll soften, slacken, and turn properly sharp.
3. Heat the rice pouches according to the pack and keep them covered.
4. Get a heavy stainless or cast iron pan over a very high heat until it's smoking — non-stick won't give you the char you want here. Lay the chops down in a single layer and don't crowd the pan; if it's tight, work in two batches. Crowded chops steam instead of sear, and you lose the lacquered crust that makes this dish. Cook 2–3 minutes each side for blushing pink in the middle. The gochujang will char and blacken at the edges — that's the flavour, not a mistake. Lift onto a board to rest for 2 minutes.
5. Tip the reserved marinade into the hot pan with a splash of water. Let it bubble and swirl for 20–30 seconds, scraping up the dark sticky bits, until it turns glossy and clings to the back of a spoon. Watch the garlic in there — fragrant and pale gold is perfect, but burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter, so don't let it go past 30 seconds before the liquid hits.
6. Taste the sauce — most of the salt comes from the soy, but a final pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime ties it together.
7. Spoon the rice onto plates, lay the lamb chops over the top, and pour the pan sauce over the chops. Heap the pickled cucumber alongside, scatter generously with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds, and tuck a lime wedge onto each plate to squeeze over at the table.