Lamb chops with lemongrass and cumin are a feast for the senses

“During the summers in Kamakura, the part of Japan where I grew up in, my grandmother would bring out a round cast-iron griddle to cook Genghis Khan Mongolian barbecue and invite the neighbors,” Sonoko Sakai writes in her cookbook “Wafu Cooking,” a collection of recipes from around the world adapted to use Japanese ingredients or techniques. It’s a style of cooking known as wafu.

The barbecue Sakai describes, called jingisukan in Japan, features lamb or mutton marinated in a variety of aromatics and spices, mainly ginger and cumin. Sakai’s grilled lamb chop recipe, a nod to her grandmother’s cookouts and the sensational smokiness of jingisukan, is infused with ginger, garlic, cumin and the grassy, citrus-like flavor of lemongrass.

Like Taiwanese-style Mongolian barbecue, jingisukan is not based on a recipe from Mongolia; it’s a signature dish of Japan’s northernmost main island, Hokkaido. The dish owes its existence and popularity to lore, history and regional pride: “During the party someone would retell the legend of Kublai Khan’s attempts to conquer the Japanese archipelago in the twelfth century with 4,400 ships and 140,000 soldiers, which were thwarted when typhoons known as kamikaze (‘divine wind’) destroyed their fleet,” she wrote.

In his 2024 “Japan: Hokkaido” guide, travel writer Tom Fay calls jingisukan “probably Hokkaido’s most famous specialty.” The cast-iron griddle is traditionally dome-shaped, “to resemble the helmet of Genghis Khan,” Fay writes, explaining that, as the lamb cooks on top, its fat and juices run down to the bottom rim, where vegetables are added to cook and pick up some of that smoky, gingery flavor. This recipe, for Lamb Chops With Lemongrass and Cumin, puts that element in play: After cooking the meat, you’ll use the same skillet, greased with rich lamb fat, to cook chopped zucchini — or any vegetable you’d like.

Fay ends his jingisukan missive with a warning I found amusing: “Beware, some establishments can be a little smoky and can leave your clothes smelling quite flavoursome.” I’m tempted to print that and post it in the entryway to my apartment, because if I’m making a recipe like these lamb chops, things are going to get smoky.

Turns out, that was an element of Sakai’s grandmother’s feasts, too. “The smoke from the griddle hurt my eyes, but I wanted to stay close to the action,” she wrote.

When I called Sakai recently, she elaborated on the setup, which sounds similar to the one at establishments that specialize in the dish: “My grandmother would place this huge round cast-iron griddle over charcoal and wood, with meat and vegetables on top, and we would just surround it and eat,” she told me.

“Jingisukan is more than just a meal,” Hermann Candahashi writes in “The Evolution of Japanese Cuisine,” “it’s a social event. Typically, friends and family sit around the grill, everyone takes what they want, and the shared meal can last for hours.”

Sakai wanted to capture those flavors and that feeling, but in a way that better fit her life in California today. She has always loved lamb, a meat she says is not very popular in Japan because of its strong flavor. But she has long preferred quick-cooking chops to a large cut. So, for her wafu take on jingisukan, she calls for rib chops. (Loin chops will also work here.) Her marinade is based on a teriyaki sauce, sweet and salty, with garlic, ginger, green chile and cumin. She also adds lemongrass, just because she always has some growing in her garden.

I love how the lemongrass plays off the earthy, musky cumin. Though there’s a relatively small amount of cumin here, you can taste it next to the ginger and garlic. The sweetness of mirin and depth of soy sauce are evened out by a finishing squeeze of lime juice.

“That’s the thing about wafu cooking,” Sakai said. “It means Japanese style, but it also means harmony.” Smoky but bright, rich yet tempered, these lamb chops are wafu, through and through.

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Lamb Chops With Lemongrass and Cumin

2 (3-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed, dry outer layers discarded, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced or finely grated

2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably low-sodium

1½ tablespoons mirin

½ serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced (optional)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 lamb rib chops (1½ pounds total), about ¾ inch thick, patted dry

3 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, such as vegetable or sunflower, divided

2 medium zucchini (1 pound total), coarsely chopped

2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, stir together the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, serrano, if using, cumin and black pepper until combined. Add the lamb and, using your hands, toss until well coated with the marinade. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, toss again to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 10 hours. Allow the lamb to come to room temperature before cooking.

When you’re ready to cook, remove the lamb from the marinade and use a knife to scrape off any excess clinging to the meat, as it will burn during cooking.

In a large (12-inch) cast-iron or carbon-steel skillet over high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until it begins to shimmer. Working in batches as needed to prevent overcrowding, add the lamb chops, leaving about an inch of space between each one, and sear until well browned with a bit of char on the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. (A little smoke is okay, but if it gets to be too much, reduce the heat to medium-high.) Flip, and cook the other side until browned and lightly charred, another 2 to 3 minutes. For medium-rare, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop away from the bone should read 130°F . Remove from the heat, transfer the lamb to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the zucchini to the skillet and sauté, stirring constantly, until browned all over with some blackened spots, 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from the heat. Uncover the lamb, and transfer the zucchini to the platter. Garnish with the lime wedges and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired, and serve, family-style.

2 to 4 servings (makes 6 to 8 lamb chops and 3 cups zucchini)

Make ahead: The marinade can be made and refrigerated 1 day in advance. The lamb needs to marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 10 hours before cooking. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Substitutions: If you can’t find fresh lemongrass, skip it. Prepared lemongrass paste is too finely ground for this recipe, and may burn during cooking. In addition to lime wedges, you could garnish the chops with fresh mint or cilantro. If you don’t have fresh ginger, use additional garlic. (It’s best not to use dried ginger here, as it will burn during cooking.) For mirin, use 1 teaspoon granulated or light brown sugar. If you can’t find lamb rib chops, substitute lamb loin chops. No lamb? Use pork chops; boneless, skinless chicken thighs; or slabs of extra-firm tofu, with adjustments to the cooking time. For zucchini, use sliced carrots, chopped butternut squash, snap peas, corn on the cob or chopped kale. For limes, use lemons.

Nutrition per serving (2 lamb rib chops and ¾ cup zucchini), based on 4, using half the marinade: 478 calories, 7g carbohydrates, 112mg cholesterol, 35g fat, 1g fiber, 34g protein, 13g saturated fat, 273mg sodium, 4g sugar

— Adapted from “Wafu Cooking” by Sonoko Sakai (Knopf, 2024).