Restaurant Redo with Outback's Lamb Chop Dish

Thank you to you all who weighed in with your opinions, pros/cons and your involvement regarding social media. That was from my last post but I certainly welcome further discussion if anyone else would care to share their opinions. It’s nice to chit chat and have these type conversations once in awhile.

Today I am talking about lamb and revising a recipe for lighter eating.

Anyone have an Outback Steakhouse in their town? You know, the Aussie themed chain restaurant which is the sister of Carabbas and Bonefish Grill. On the Outback menu is the New Zealand Rack of Lamb dinner which is served with garlic mashed potatoes. They pile on 4 chops with 1 full cup of buttery garlic potatoes.



From the Restaurant Redo page in Redbook magazine, you can revise the meal with practical portions but not skimp on taste.

Outback piles on four chops, a whole cup of potatoes, plus buttery broccoli and cabernet sauce on the side. Redbook’s Redo portion is much more reasonable.

(Outback Steakhouse New Zealand Rack of Lamb dinner: 1,778 CALORIES, 143 grams of fat. Restaurant Redo ONLY 400 CALORIES and 18 grams of fat).

Here is the recipe they give and I will add my version as well. Pick the one you like if you chose to prepare this delicious lamb dish.

For Four servings, here are the Ingredients:

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
5 clove(s) garlic, peeled
5 sprig(s) fresh rosemary
8 (1-inch thick, about 2 pounds) rib lamb chops, well trimmed
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1 cup(s) red wine

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil, garlic, and rosemary over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to season and prepare the pan; then pour oil, garlic, and herbs out and discard.
2. Sprinkle lamb chops with salt and pepper. Place in the same skillet and cook until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.
3. Pour off pan drippings. Increase heat to high, add wine to pan, and stir, scraping up brown bits until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Serve as sauce on chops.

Squirrel Head Manor Version:
Place chops in a container to marinate with olive oil, rosemary and minced garlic. Let it sit all day. GRILL the chops over a charcoal grill. Drink the wine instead of cooking with it. We had a half bottle of Beaujolais left from another meal so – we had it with dinner. And just a half bottle so...health benefits :-)

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
1 pound(s) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
Splash of skim milk if you are counting calories or 1% milk as I used.
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/8 teaspoon(s) ground pepper

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

2. Return potatoes and garlic to saucepan. Add milk, reserved cooking water, butter, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth, but leave a few chunks.



Squirrel Head Manor Version for potatoes:
Ok, not too much change here. I used far less potatoes as it’s just the two of us and the portions were smaller than 1 cup. The second night we had the grilled lamb (freshly grilled chops, not reheated) and I sliced potatoes and roasted them with a dash of olive oil and sea salt. Nice crispy wedges.

Side dish – Broccoli took a night off and asparagus tips were sautéed in a wee bit of olive oil. For the second night it was sautéed zucchini, onions and mushrooms.

I love finding articles where the recipe is reworked to become a healthier meal, lower in fat.

I will be sending this to CreamPuffs in Venice for her roundup of Magazine Monday. Surf over to visit the Creampuff and check out her wonderful site.



If anyone had tried the Outback chops and this version works for you, please do let me know.


Cheers!