Grilled Lamb Chops with English Mint Sauce

Lamb chops with mint sauce is a classic combination and one that conjures up memories of that alien-green colored mint jelly. This recipe from The Denver Post features an easy-to-prepare fresh mint sauce using a big handful of mint leaves, sugar, water, and the secret ingredient to add texture and tang -- malt vinegar.

The beauty of this homemade sauce is that you can prepare it a la minute to use when you make these grilled lamb chops, or you can store the sauce in your refrigerator for up to one month to add zing to another dish. This mint sauce also works nicely with other cuts of lamb or even chicken.

When it comes to selecting wine, we know you cannot go wrong with a medium- to full-bodied red with lamb. If you consider the fresh mint sauce, it is more herbal and less sweet than the old standard jelly. For this reason we recommend an older Cabernet Sauvignon from California, and if you can’t get your hands on one, consider an oak-aged Cabernet. Alternatively, a Rioja Reserva from Spain will be quite tasty with the lamb. “Reserva” on the label of a wine produced in Spain indicates that it has undergone additional aging that yields a richer, smoother wine than a youthful Crianza. These wines are robust and will hold up to the grilled lamb chops and the herbal mintiness of the sauce can bring out the herbal undertones of the wine. For the recipe, please visit www.denverpost.com.

--Felicia M. Sherbert