By nine in the morning on the 24th, half the country already has coals going. Smoke drifts over garden walls before most people have finished breakfast, car radios are running through requests at every second robot, and somewhere close by someone’s already arguing about whether the fire’s ready yet. It’s the one day a year when almost everyone is doing roughly the same thing at roughly the same time.
Braai lamb chops are what a lot of those fires are for, and rosemary is the one herb that’s never had to fight for its place next to lamb. We’ve held Wilson’s Rosemary Flavoured Oil back all month for this one, marinating the chops in it alongside red wine and lemon, then basting with it right through the braai so the herb chars into the meat instead of just sitting on top of it.
Here’s how we get them onto the fire and off it again, chops still pink in the middle and properly charred outside.
Braai Lamb Chops
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the red wine, lemon juice, Wilson's Rosemary Flavoured Oil, chopped rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl or dish.
- Add the lamb chops and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight for a deeper flavour.
- Remove the chops from the fridge 30 minutes before braaing. If skewering, thread 2 chops per skewer through the fat cap to hold them upright.
- Light the fire with wood, then add charcoal once it's burned down to good coals, and let the whole lot get properly hot before the chops go on.
- Place the chops fat-side down first and hold them there until the fat renders and turns golden and crisp, 3-4 minutes.
- Turn and braai the chops over direct heat, basting with extra Wilson's Rosemary Flavoured Oil and turning every minute or so, until well charred outside and still pink in the middle, about 6-8 minutes more.
- In the last few minutes, drag a whole rosemary sprig through the basting oil and brush it directly over the chops so the herb chars slightly against the meat.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
We Use Rosemary Flavoured Oil
Lamb chops go from raw to overdone in a matter of minutes over a hot fire, which means the basting oil is doing as much work as the marinade. Wilson’s Rosemary Flavoured Oil goes on continuously through that short window, so the rosemary keeps building through every turn of the tongs instead of getting one shot at the start.
Dragging a whole rosemary sprig through the oil and brushing it straight onto the chops in the last few minutes lets the herb touch the meat directly and catch a bit of char against the direct heat. That’s where the deepest rosemary flavour in the whole dish comes from.
It also helps the fat cap render properly when the chops go down fat-side first, which is the step that turns a good chop into a great one.
Wood or Charcoal?
Every braai has this argument at some point on the 24th. The wood camp wants the smell of a proper log fire and doesn’t trust briquettes to taste like anything. The charcoal camp wants coals ready in twenty minutes without babysitting a flame that keeps changing size. Neither side is wrong, which is usually where an argument like this ends up.
The version that actually works on the day is both. Light the fire with wood first, since that’s where the smoke character comes from and it burns down to usable coals faster than charcoal does from cold. Once those coals are glowing, add charcoal on top to stretch the heat, because it burns slower and steadier than wood embers, which start dropping in temperature the moment they peak.
Most people already do half of this without naming it that way. Chops only need the fire at its hottest for a few minutes, but everything else on the grid after them needs the coals to hold, and that’s the part charcoal is built for.
Our Tips
Start fat-side down. Holding the chops on their fat edge first renders it properly, so it’s crisp rather than chewy by the time you flip.
Skewer two chops together through the fat. It keeps them upright on the fat side and stops them tipping over onto the meat too early.
Baste every turn, not just once. Continuous basting is what gets the rosemary flavour to build up in layers instead of fading after the first minute.
Let the fire go properly hot. Lamb chops want a fierce, fast heat, not a slow one, so wait until the coals are glowing and ashed over.
Pull them before you think they’re ready. Chops carry on cooking for a minute or two once they’re off the fire, so a slightly pink centre at the braai is exactly right by the time they’re plated.
Rest them properly. Five minutes under foil lets the juices settle back through the meat instead of running out onto the board.
How We Serve It
These chops want a plate that’s mostly other braai food. A scoop of chakalaka, a pile of pap, or char-grilled vegetables straight off the same fire all sit well alongside them, and none of it needs much more than a good glass of red poured close by.
The braai itself has its own history worth knowing on the day. Heritage Day’s link to Braai Day goes back to a 2005 campaign that asked South Africans to mark the 24th around a fire rather than around anything that divides the rest of the calendar, and it’s stuck for exactly that reason.
More Ways to Use Rosemary Flavoured Oil
A bottle of Wilson’s Rosemary Flavoured Oil earns its keep well past one Heritage Day braai.
For a Sunday potjie — it browns the meat before anything else goes into the pot in our Beef Shin Potjie with Fluffy Dumpling.
For something from the sea — a finishing drizzle lifts a plate of fishcakes in our Snoek Fishcakes with Rosemary Oil Drizzle.
For a red wine braise — the same searing job comes up again in our Lamb Casserole with Red Wine.
For roast potatoes — tucked in among the potatoes for the last part of roasting, it gives a crisp, herby edge without needing dried rosemary as well.
For steak night — brushed on before the pan or the fire, it does the same job it does here for the chops, building flavour from the first sizzle.
The Good Stuff About Rosemary Flavoured Oil
A properly infused rosemary oil carries flavour differently to dried leaves shaken on at the last minute. Because the rosemary character is already dissolved through the oil, it reaches into a marinade and a basting brush in a way that whole dried leaves, which mostly just sit on the surface, can’t match over a fast, hot braai.
250ml / 1L
Bottle Sizes
6x250ml / 6x1L
Case Options
Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Steaks, Fish, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Peas, Spinach
Pairs Well With
Sunday Lunches & Braai Marinades
Kitchen Regular
Ways to Change It Up
Swap the wine for extra lemon and stock. Leaving out the alcohol still gives you an acidic marinade base without losing the balance.
Use lamb rib chops instead of loin. They’re fattier and more forgiving over a fierce fire, which suits a first-timer at the tongs.
Add a chilli to the marinade. A finely chopped chilli alongside the garlic gives the chops some heat without covering up the rosemary.
Try it with mutton chops. The same marinade and basting method suits mutton’s stronger flavour just as well.
Finish with flaky salt. A scatter the moment they come off the fire lifts the char without needing another sauce.
Questions You Might Have
Why braai the chops fat-side down first?
It renders the fat cap properly, so it turns crisp instead of staying rubbery once the chop is fully cooked.
How long should I marinate lamb chops?
Two hours is enough to pick up real flavour, but an overnight marinade in the fridge gets it further into the meat.
How do I know when the chops are done?
Pull them while the centre is still slightly pink. They keep cooking for a minute or two off the heat, so a chop that looks perfect on the fire is usually a touch overdone by the time it’s rested.
Can I make these without skewering the chops?
Yes. Skewering just makes it easier to hold two chops upright on the fat cap; you can braai them flat and stand them on their edge with tongs instead.
Can I freeze the marinated chops?
Yes, they freeze well raw in the marinade for up to 2 months. Thaw fully in the fridge before they go anywhere near the fire.
What should I serve with braai lamb chops?
Chakalaka, pap and char-grilled vegetables all work well, along with something cold to drink and time to sit around the fire.
Where can I buy Wilson’s Rosemary Flavoured Oil?
It’s available to order directly from oliveoil.co.za and at leading retailers across South Africa.
Ready to Make This?
Get the rosemary oil we’ve been saving all month, and put these chops on before the fire’s even at its hottest.
More From Our Kitchen
Greek Lamb Chops — Lamb Potjie — Beef Shin Potjie with Fluffy Dumpling — All Recipes
Made this? We’d love to see
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