Mint-and-Sumac Grilled Goat Chops with Tahini Sauce

There was frankincense for chewing and making tea, frankincense for burning, and frankincense mixed with every kind of perfume and oil. We got away with a big bag of huge chunks of the dark, powerful-smelling sap, and a smaller bag of the clearer variety used as as a sort of panacea.

But that’s enough babbling. Our extremely friendly host treated us to a dinner of everything-on-the-menu at a lively outdoor restaurant full of men smoking sheesha and drinking fresh fruit juice, and then sent us on our way. Part of our feast included a small grill, placed on the table full of kebabs, lamb sausage and goat chops, all of which were super delicious, and one of which, I tried to recreate here.

Mint and Sumac Goat Chops with Tahini Sauce

Serves 2.

For the Goat Chops:

• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4-6 small goat chops (about 1 lb. in total)

For the Tahini Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water, or more if needed
• salt to taste

1. In a mortar and pestle, grind up the olive oil, garlic, mint, parsley, sumac, and fennel until you have a rough paste, and there are no huge chunks. Add the rest of the the spices and mix it up until it’s a uniform consistency. Trim the chops of any silver skin or ragged edges, then coat them with the rub. Let the chops sit covered in the fridge for two hours or so.
2. For the tahini sauce, mix the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and water in a small bowl with a whisk, making sure there are no lumps. The sauce should have a syrupy consistency; season with salt.
3. On medium-high heat, grill the chops for about five minutes per side for medium-rare (125-130 degrees, internal temp). Let them rest for a couple of minutes after removing them from the heat and then artfully drizzle them with the tahini sauce.