This is essentially the T-bone steak of lamb and features the loin on one side of the bone and a small piece of fillet on the other side. The bone gives the meat added flavour and helps make the chops harder to overcook as the meat stays nice and pink nearer the bone. Slightly thicker than a cutlet, these chops are ideal on the barbecue as they can take the direct heat for a little longer, meaning they have more time to take on that lovely smoky barbecue flavour.

Said to have been first used in a hotel in Barnsley (hence the name), this is basically a double loin chop. Due to its larger size, it makes a great portion for one person and can be cooked similarly to a regular loin chop. It can also take on a long, slow cook due to the bone running through it which will prevent the lean meat drying out and leave you with a melt-in-the-mouth chop.

This is an often forgotten, cheaper cut due to the high fat and bone content. It is ideal for long, slowly braised dishes like stews or curries which will give the chop time to render out all the fat and soften those chewy connective tissues. Having said that, as long as you don’t mind a bit of a chewier texture to your lamb, the shoulder chop can also be seared or barbecued with delicious results. With a quicker cooking method, you won’t necessarily have time to render out all of the fat, which will give you a deeper, lamby flavour to the chop (or you can trim it off before cooking if you'd prefer).

The most common types of lamb chop are loin chops and the more expensive cutlets, but it’s definitely worth seeking out Barnsley chops for a more substantial piece of meat or shoulder chops for larger braised dishes. If you’re looking for a basic guide on cooking lamb loin chops in the pan, however, this recipe will ensure fantastic results. Cutlets are a little more delicate and best server pinker, while Barnsley and shoulder chops will require a little more cooking time, so adapt the timings depending on what chop you’re using.