The prestige cut of Armenian khorovats: bone-in pork loin rib chops briefly marinated with onion and basil, threaded whole onto wide flat skewers and grilled over grape or fruitwood embers. Ordering chalagach rather than ordinary khorovats signals you want the tender rack, not shoulder cubes.
Also known as: chalaghach, chalagaj, chalaghaj, pork chop khorovats, չալաղաջ
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork loin rib chops, 3 cm thick (about 1.2 kg)
- 2 onions, sliced into rings
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- lavash bread
- pickled vegetables and fresh herbs, to serve
How to make it
- 1
Layer the chops in a bowl with onion rings, basil, pepper and oil, pressing so the onion juices reach the meat; marinate 2 hours — Armenian khorovats keeps it this spare.
- 2
Thread each chop whole onto a wide skewer, weaving the metal through meat and along the bone.
- 3
Salt just before cooking and grill over medium coals 6-7 minutes per side, until the fat edge blisters and the center reads 62 C.
- 4
Warm the lavash over the coals for a few seconds per side.
- 5
Rest the chops 5 minutes, then serve wrapped in lavash with pickles, herbs and the grilled onions.
Pro tip: Ask for chops from the rib end with the fat cap intact — chalagach is judged by that crackling rim of fat, not the loin eye.
