Lamb shoulder chops are pan seared, then quickly braised with San Marzano tomatoes, olives, shallots, garlic, sage and red wine. Recipe below—plus your chance to win a Calphalon Williams-Sonoma Elite Nonstick fry pan.
I love kitchen stuff. If left to my own devices in a department store, I don’t wander over to the big screen TVs. You’ll find me in the cookware department, checking out the newest pots and pans and gadgets. Our kitchen cabinets (okay, and various attic shelves) are crammed with assorted skillets, sauce pans, Dutch ovens, stock pots… So when I was asked to review some new Calphalon pans, I of course said yes.
The pans in question are part of a new premium cookware line being introduced this month, Calphalon Williams-Sonoma Elite Nonstick. We were given the 10-inch sauté pan you see above (with accompanying glass lid) and a 10-inch fry pan to test drive. While our aforementioned pile of cookware includes heavy French copper pieces, high-end stainless and cheap, hardworking Chinatown aluminum pots, nonstick pans are my daily go-to. So I’m well versed in the advantages of nonstick—and the drawbacks.
The main advantage is in its name—nonstick. Food releases easily because it doesn’t stick in the first place. Cleanup is easy too, for the same reason.
One historic drawback has been surface durability. I remember nonstick surfaces flaking away in some of my mother’s first pans. It’s gotten much better over the years, but most manufacturers still warn against using metal utensils. Calphalon says its Williams-Sonoma Elite Nonstick line is “engineered to withstand the rigors of metal whisk and spatula use.” I haven’t been exactly rigorous with my handling of the pans, but I’ve used metal spoons, tongs and even spatulas, flipping chops and scraping up browned bits—all without leaving marks on the surface.
An even bigger issue for many cooks is that nonstick cookware doesn’t always do a great job of searing meat. That quick browning is needed to seal in moisture and flavor and add color. The fry pan handled this well, browning steaks beautifully.
The Elite Nonstick has a couple of other features I like that have nothing to do with its nonstick abilities. First, far too many of our pans—cheap, expensive, nonstick or not—warp when you heat them. Either all of the cooking fat flows to the edges of the pan or, in rare cases, to the middle. These did not. The bottoms stayed flat. The other feature I like is stamped in the bottom of each pan: TOLEDO, OHIO USA. It’s getting increasingly hard to find things manufactured in the United States, and seeing that made me very happy.
As the name would suggest, Calphalon Williams-Sonoma Elite Nonstick will be sold exclusively through Williams-Sonoma. It launches on their website on September 12, and will be available in stores on September 27. An 11-piece set will retail for $699.95. Pieces will also be sold individually. (And I’m giving away one pan here—look for details after the recipe.)
So let’s get cooking. As I said, I pan seared steaks in the fry pan, partly to see how well the cookware browns meat and partly because, hey, it’s steak. For the lidded sauté pan, I wanted to braise something. Here, the pan would have to brown meat and sweat vegetables, and its lid would have to seal properly to keep in the braising liquid.
In a bit of accidental symmetry, I had just picked up a Williams-Sonoma cookbook at the library, The Cook & The Butcher: Juicy Recipes, Butcher’s Wisdom, and Expert Tips, an unapologetic celebration of cooking and eating meat. Tapping into this book seemed perfect for testing cookware that shared part of its name.
Lamb shoulder chops are an inexpensive and flavorful cut. They can also be tough if not cooked properly. One favorite tenderizing technique is to dry brine them with kosher salt. This quick braise also does the trick, and the tomatoes, sage and olives create a wonderfully lively sauce that balances the lamb’s richness.
Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Tomatoes and Sage
Adapted from The Cook & The Butcher
Serves 2
2 lamb shoulder chops, about 8 ounces each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 to 4 canned San Marzano tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with some of their juices
6 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Pat chops dry with paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large lidded sauté pan over medium-high flame. When the pan is very hot, sear chops on one side for 2-1/2 minutes. Turn and sear on the second side for 2 minutes. Transfer chops to plate.
Pour off fat in pan and add remaining tablespoon of oil. reduce heat to medium-low and let pan cool for a minute or two. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add wine and deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits.
Add tomatoes and olives. Return chops and any accumulated juices to pan. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, turning chops halfway through.
Transfer chops to warmed plates. If the sauce is on the thin side, raise heat to high and reduce slightly (I didn’t need to do this). Spoon sauce over chops and serve.
And now the giveaway. Win a Calphalon Williams-Sonoma Elite Nonstick 10-inch fry pan for your own kitchen. To enter to win it, just leave a comment on this post. On Sunday, September 15, I’ll select a random comment as the winner. Just one comment per person, please.
Update: The contest is now closed. I’ll announce the winner Wednesday. Thanks for entering!
Will have to try this recipe this week….Sounds and looks yummy!
Sounds like a delicious recipe. I’l pick up the lamb next time I go to ShopRite; got the rest ‘on the shelf’.
Another great excuse to eat lamb. Always wanted to own a piece of Calphalon.
These pans sound great! One thing I hate about nonstick is not being able to use metal utensils. I love your site and all your recipes!
This recipe sounds amazing! Thanks so much for the giveaway
Lamb has such great flavor, and shoulder chops are relatively affordable. And perfect for a quick braise like this. The sage sounds lovely, although I so like thyme with lamb, I think I’d substitute that. Anyway, good recipe. And the new Calphalon cookware sounds excellent! We have an awful lot of cookware stored away, including several pieces of the original dark aluminum Calphalon pots and pans (from the 1970s, very early 80s). I’ve ever had their nonstick stuff, though. I must say I’ve been able to warp the bottom of almost every brand of cookware we’ve had (except for the cast iron jobs), but never did that with Calphalon — they do good quality stuff.
Kitchenriffs, thyme would be delicious with this. So would rosemary.
Oooh, and just when my current pan is seeing its last days! Even if you try very hard not to jab that fork all the way through when turning over something, it happens. Repeatedly. (Crossing my fingers….)
I love lamb chops. I even love the word “chops.” Sounds so succulent.
I was delighted to find your Blue Kitchen recipes and happily became a subscriber. We love lamb, have never purchased shoulder cuts though. Ingredients sound wonderful. Sage & parsley just waiting to be clipped.
Up to now, I’ve pretty much assigned my nonstick pan to egg duty. I love the idea of a nonstick pan that can actually sear meat well AND is made in Ohio. As for the lamb … yum! A favorite since childhood. Nice!
Yum! I love lamb, but after being a vegeterian for 12 years I’m always a little scared.
…don’t have any non-stick cookware; its not easy getting over the toxic teflon years. It’s great to learn a reputable company has finally mastered the technology. And ‘Made in the USA’ means I will proudly purchase one.
Terry, your recipe sounds delicious but I would need to substitute the lamb with, uh… maybe a potato? (looking for a veggie option to carry your blend of ingredients.)
In hopes of winning I pass along my long overdue thanks for a suite of great recipes I have tried and shared with much happiness.
Thanks, everyone, for the great comments. Keep them coming!
I love your writing, Altadenahiker. And the word “chops.”
Katherine and Sharon, I bet substituting some nice meaty mushrooms for the lamb would be delicious—portobellos, for instance.
I’ve never used sage with lamb before. I can’t wait to try it…in my new pan, of course.
I love lamb, (I actually love mutton – the real lamb-y flavor!), I love the Blue Kitchen and most all of your recipes.
Looks delicious! Sage and lamb is really interesting.
I was thinking about doing something for ‘she who must be obeyed’ on her return from the Lake District. Lamb is a favourite and hey, presto! Blue Kitchen comes up with this delightful recipe.
Rike: I was brought up on Mutton which is now hard to find in the U.K. One has to ask for it. Much under rated because of poor culinary skills, I had a great meal (plus lots of follow ons) from a leg joint cooked slowly in a large covered pan. Must revisit that one.
Recipe sounds delicious . I love all those ingredients . I think I have an older calphalon pan that I bought from Williams Sonoma years ago , it is smaller and I generally use it for omelets . They come out great in that pan. Sounds like a good product and made in my home state ! excellent !
Oh yummy! This is so so tasty recipe thank you so much!
You got my attention with three of my favorite words: meat, meat and yes, meat! As you know, I probably don’t need the pan, but love to read your take on the Art of Cooking. And it is Art!
Fall means ‘back to school’ , but it also means local lamb. Bring it on…
I’m a sucker for non-stick pans for eggs. But, even though I avoided metal utensils, they have a limited lifetime before the inevitable–that first little spot upon which food sticks–and finally…
I never wanted to spend the big bucks for a non-stick pan that claims to allow using metal tools.
But, I’d sure like to try one.
This recipe sounds delicious–can’t wait to try it!
I’ve got Calphalon pans I use and abuse regularly. They do hold up. Most recent was a pot of green chili stew – so glad it’s Hatch chili time. Pans that don’t warp are worth their weight in gold (nearly) to me!
The recipe sounds wonderful and I LOVE Caphalon!
I’ll make a skillet breakfast of “migas.”
Thanks.
looks so yummy – where do you recommend buying some lamb shoulder chops?
Maria, lamb shoulder chops are a fairly common cut. I can usually find them at the supermarket in the self-serve meat cases. But butcher shops should have them too.
Not a huge fan of lamb… would rather have that steak. lol
YUM! Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Love shoulder steaks! I use the Blue Kitchen Lamb Shoulder Chops with Rosemary recipe all the time, but might have to switch it up this weekend!
This sounds yummy! Need this pan so I can try it!!
You had me at olives.
Mmmm… I can taste this just by reading the ingredients!
Wow, those chops look delicious! Great post.
Must taste good, its lamb for God Sakes!
This sounds so easy, delicious and affordable! Thanks for the recipe. The pan would be perfect for my son who will soon be setting up his first kitchen.
You really get what you pay for where non stick is concerned.
I thought I bought good pans when I purchased 2 ‘GreenPans’ but you really had to add more fat when cooking proteins, especially eggs. They were nice for sauteing vegetables but as usual after a year their “indestructible” surface started to change and they’ll be going to metal recycling soon. I learned years ago that cooking spray is not a good idea for non stick, seems to leave a film that’s tough to wash out.
Paying more for a good pan make sense because you’re not replacing it every year.
Looks delicious!
Lamb shoulder chops with tomatoes, sage, olives, garlic, shallots and more? Yes, please! Planning to cook this for my lovely wife this weekend.
A new type of non-stick Calphalon to replace my 20-year-old , on-its-last-legs cherished wedding gift? I’ll make sure she eats like a queen forever!
Thanks for the recipe!
Threw everything together in a baking dish, covered with foil, and baked for one and a half hours at 325. Cooled in fridge overnight and we had it for dinner the following evening. Delicious!
I have never used Sage with Lamb… mint, Rosemary and Basil, yes. However, I have fresh sage growing in a pot on my deck and tried that in this recipe. I cannot speak to how the pan works, since I used a cast iron skillet, but the recipe was delicious.
Gimme the pan or the lamb gets it.
Love your column. I’m not sure how I got on it, but almost every recipe you feature is something we enjoy. Keep up the good work!
Lamb is my favorite meat, by far, and has been for as long as I can recall. Adding tomatoes and sage to lamb only make it even more appealing to me.
And cooking in all in a Calphalon pan makes it a trifecta.
Can’t wait to try this pan!
Wow, this recipe looks delish!