Hogget Loin Chops – A Summer SpecialityThese single rib chops are cut from the loin of our outstanding pure-breed Swaledale hogget, sheep that graze the slopes of Upper Wharfedale, above the picturesque village of Buckden. Older than lamb, hogget benefit from two summers on rich meadows, when pasture and wildflowers are at their lushest, full of nutrients drawn up by the sun. Given time to grow and mature at their own pace, the result is deeply flavoured meat with a moderate covering of fat. More characterful than lamb yet more tender than mutton, hogget offers exceptional quality and a truly memorable eating experience. Our lamb and mutton chops are available all year, while hogget loin chops are a seasonal speciality between June and August.Chef George Ryle Inspires"Hogget loin chops are delicious when cooked in a pan, but absolutely prime for cooking over the smouldering embers of a BBQ. Take the time to render out some of the fat, then get some char - with the dripping fat causing the flames to dance and lick the chops.Serve with the most famous, and perhaps best salad, the mighty Greek; the perfect ode to summer. Ripe tomatoes and cucumbers, adorned with red onion, Kalamata olives, dried oregano and rich, salty barrel-aged feta. Then, crucially, lashings of red wine vinegar and good extra virgin olive oil.Or aim for a heavily spiced marinade, in the Pakistani-style, with a little yoghurt and leave to sit overnight. Then cook the marinated hogget loin chops on the BBQ and serve with grilled onions, rice, breads and a mint raita."
