Mutton Pepper Chops

My Introduction to Mutton/ Goat meat was post my marriage into a Bengali family. Bengali's are predominantly non-vegetarian with river fish and goat meat as their main staple. Goat meat also forms an integral part of their culture. From the ritualistic sacrifices done during Kali Puja to every Sunday meal prominently featuring a goat curry.  They have been traditionally known to frown upon chicken and other meats.

And so the tradition of making Goat curry every Sunday has continued at my home too. During a recent grocery trip, my husband chanced upon freshly stacked mutton chops at the meat counter and was surged by a flood of childhood memories. After school and college, he would pick up a couple of freshly grilled mutton chops from the street vendors and chomp on them as he made his way home.

We had to bring some raw mutton chops home and I had to figure out a way to cook them. I adapted this Recipe and made it a semi dry dish to be enjoyed with ghee rice and pineapple strawberry salsa. This preparation has a strong flavor of pepper but it is not very spicy. You can add red chili powder / chili flakes to kick up the heat.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

•  8 Mutton/Goat Rib Chops
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced 
• 1 - 2  tablespoons Oil

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup sliced onion
• 4-5 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Spice mix
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1” cinnamon stick
   

Directions:

1. Grind all the ingredients under the “Spice Mix” to a coarse powder.
2. Now add in the rest of the marinade ingredients- garlic cloves, sliced onions, turmeric powder and yogurt and blend to form a thick marinade.
3. Marinate the cleaned goat chops with this paste and salt for about 30 minutes.
4. Heat a large saucepan or Pressure cooker.
5. Add the marinated chops with all the marinade and cook on medium high till the first whistle or high pressure builds. Reduce heat and cook further for 10 minutes.
6. Switch off the stove and let it cool. 
7. Once the steam dissipates, open the cooker. There will be a lot of liquid in the cooker. Remove the chops using a slotted spoon and continue simmering the sauce till it reduces to a thick gravy.
8. In another large frying pan, heat some oil and sauté the thinly sliced onion till nicely browned.
9. Add the cooked mutton chops to this pan and let the chops brown on all sides, turning frequently. 
10. Pour the reduced gravy over and turn the chops around to coat them evenly.
11. Serve the Mutton Pepper chops with a side of rice pilaf and salad.