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Presidents/Chester A. Arthur

AT THE TABLE WITH CHESTER A. ARTHUR

Pan-seared lamb chops

Lamb is a readily available substitute for the mature mutton of many nineteenth-century tables.

Dinner25 min + restingServes 2
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Pan-seared lamb chops — the black-and-white years
The black-and-white years · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

Arthur’s taste for a proper chop

More about Chester A. Arthur →

The twenty-first president followed Garfield into office.

Family or White House tradition

Arthur’s fondness for mutton chops is recorded in presidential culinary discussion. We substitute the more readily available lamb loin chop, searing it in a hot pan and finishing with butter.

The president & the table

Chester Arthur’s food story is often overshadowed by his polished social style. The Library of Congress’s culinary discussion singles out his fondness for mutton chops. A preserved 1882 letter thanking a restaurant owner for caribou adds another glimpse of his interest in substantial meat dishes.

Behind this story

Library of Congress presidential-food research and Arthur’s 1882 caribou letter.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Serves 2

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

  1. Pat the chops dry and season. Heat a heavy skillet with oil over medium-high heat.

  2. Cook chops for about 3–5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Briefly hold fatty edges against the pan using tongs.

  3. Lower the heat. Add butter, garlic and rosemary; spoon the foaming butter over the meat. Cook to at least 63°C / 145°F in the centre.

  4. Rest for 3–5 minutes. Spoon over pan butter and serve with optional lemon.

Cooking notes

Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.