# Cooking on Christmas



## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Three weeks to Christmas. What do the members have for their main course at Christmas dinner?

My wife and I usually cook a small prime rib, but I've come to the realization that it's more out of tradition than anything else. I find the prime rib to actually be too rich, if that's possible...and so I'm looking to go another direction. The options seem pretty straightforward:

*Ham*: A glazed ham would be easy to make, but I think it is a little boring.

*Roast Beef: *A sirloin roast or a strip roast might be a better alternative to the prime rib as the former options would be leaner with more bite. If the weather is nice, slow roasting on the grill (using Salgy's recipe) would be an option.

*Turkey: *I roasted a turkey on the grill for Thanksgiving (again using Salgy's recipe) and loved the results. I'm leaning towards this option, if the weather holds.

*Fish: *My Italian barber has a traditional Italian fish feast that sounds very interesting (think eels), but also very labor intensive.

What do you guys do?


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

Snow Hill,

as far as helping narrow down your list, i am afraid i will not be much help... once you have determined your protein, i can assist you in any way i can (short of cooking it for you!)... it is not uncommon that people find the rib eye to be too rich, there is a lot of intramuscular fat in that particular cut... the sirloin, strip loin or tenderloin will eat much easier due to containing less... if it is too cold to use your grill, the same method for your turkey can be implemented indoors, and i can give you a fool proof, step-by-step instruction guide for beef tenderloin... depending on how many you are cooking for, have you considered lamb? either racks or leg? i agree that a ham would be a little boring, unless you wanted to try your hand at curing it and smoking it yourself... but then, it might be too cold for you to fire up the grill...


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

salgy said:


> Snow Hill,
> 
> as far as helping narrow down your list, i am afraid i will not be much help... once you have determined your protein, i can assist you in any way i can (short of cooking it for you!)... it is not uncommon that people find the rib eye to be too rich, there is a lot of intramuscular fat in that particular cut... the sirloin, strip loin or tenderloin will eat much easier due to containing less... if it is too cold to use your grill, the same method for your turkey can be implemented indoors, and i can give you a fool proof, step-by-step instruction guide for beef tenderloin... depending on how many you are cooking for, have you considered lamb? either racks or leg? i agree that a ham would be a little boring, unless you wanted to try your hand at curing it and smoking it yourself... but then, it might be too cold for you to fire up the grill...


Thank you Salgy. You joke about cooking "it" for me, but I feel that you have. Your recipes are so detailed that the cooking is thankfully foolproof.

I'd forgotten about lamb. That sounds interesting. If I were to go that route, would the recipe you gave Shaver be appropriate?


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> I'd forgotten about lamb. That sounds interesting. If I were to go that route, would the recipe you gave Shaver be appropriate?


Yes... Shaver's lamb would be entirely appropriate... In fact, that whole dish would make a great Xmas dinner... If that's the route you take, let me know if you need any clarification on any of the steps in that recipe


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

How about a roast goose - a very traditional choice for Christmas lunch in these parts.....


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

salgy said:


> Yes... Shaver's lamb would be entirely appropriate... In fact, that whole dish would make a great Xmas dinner... If that's the route you take, let me know if you need any clarification on any of the steps in that recipe


It *was* absolutely delicious. Indeed, I am intending to prepare the dish again this New Year's Eve.

I must take the opportunity to repeat my thanks to Salgy for the tremendously generous support he provided via PM to assist me in the making of it - he's a great guy and no mistake.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

One of the best apects of having a goose for Christmas, is when my mother cooks potatoes in the rendered goose fat. It may have clogged a couple of arteries, but what a way to live!!


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

drlivingston said:


> One of the best apects of having a goose for Christmas, is when my mother cooks potatoes in the rendered goose fat. It may have clogged a couple of arteries, but what a way to live!!


Goose fat roasted potatoes are to die for. Literally! A twice a year treat for me.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

drlivingston said:


> One of the best apects of having a goose for Christmas, is when my mother cooks potatoes in the rendered goose fat. It may have clogged a couple of arteries, but what a way to live!!


goose fat is ok... but for my money, duck fat takes the cake...


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Lamb has been mentioned so I will disclose my own forthcoming Christmas treat of a leg of Shetland lamb, given to me by a friend who has a small flock of them. Besides being notable for their ability to digest seaweed, Shetland sheep have tawny almost golden fleeces and are smaller and more nimble than most breeds of sheep, so I am anticipating that the meat may be somewhat leaner, but other than that I am uncertain exactly what to expect. I shall roast it very slowly on a bed of shallots and rosemary. It will be served with roast root vegetables and red cabbage, with a redcurrant and wine sauce.

My other favoured Christmas dish is a brace of pheasant, either roasted or casseroled. At this time of year pheasant can be ridiculously cheap if you know where to look, but some people are wary of breaking their teeth on shot.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Langham said:


> Lamb has been mentioned so I will disclose my own forthcoming Christmas treat of a leg of Shetland lamb, given to me by a friend who has a small flock of them. Besides being notable for their ability to digest seaweed, Shetland sheep have tawny almost golden fleeces and are smaller and more nimble than most breeds of sheep, so I am anticipating that the meat may be somewhat leaner, but other than that I am uncertain exactly what to expect. I shall roast it very slowly on a bed of shallots and rosemary. It will be served with roast root vegetables and red cabbage, with a redcurrant and wine sauce.
> 
> My other favoured Christmas dish is a brace of pheasant, either roasted or casseroled. At this time of year pheasant can be ridiculously cheap if you know where to look, but some people are wary of breaking their teeth on shot.


Langham, your planned Christmas dinner sounds wonderful.

You guys are very lucky. I don't think I've ever seen goose, pheasant, or duck offered in a grocery store or butcher shop. Where I live, I'm thinking that finding lamb (any cut) will be a stretch. I might have to consider mail order if I go those routes.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Langham, your planned Christmas dinner sounds wonderful.
> 
> You guys are very lucky. I don't think I've ever seen goose, pheasant, or duck offered in a grocery store or butcher shop. Where I live, I'm thinking that finding lamb (any cut) will be a stretch. I might have to consider mail order if I go those routes.


Where you live, I'd think finding duck and deer would be easy!!

There could be a sheep/emu/bison farm out there too.

My Sainted Grandmother would get a duck as a goose substitute. That was the same year she got all "englishy" and prepared a wassail bowl!!

My Sainted Father glazed a ham and fired up some keilbasa. (fresh, not smoked)

Oh, and Amish Markets are good sources too, I used to get sausage casings there.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Langham, your planned Christmas dinner sounds wonderful.
> 
> You guys are very lucky. I don't think I've ever seen goose, pheasant, or duck offered in a grocery store or butcher shop. Where I live, I'm thinking that finding lamb (any cut) will be a stretch. I might have to consider mail order if I go those routes.


I'm very sorry indeed to read that, SHP. I've always imagined there to be an abundance of game and fowl in North America, not to mention wild salmon. What you need there is one of these:


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> You guys are very lucky. I don't think I've ever seen goose, pheasant, or duck offered in a grocery store or butcher shop. Where I live, I'm thinking that finding lamb (any cut) will be a stretch. I might have to consider mail order if I go those routes.


This early, any good butcher shop (whether inside a grocery or free standing) should be able to special order you at least a duck, if not a goose... Worst case, I can order & FedEx you one :biggrin2:


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

salgy said:


> goose fat is ok... but for my money, duck fat takes the cake...


Naw.... duck fat while very, very good does not empart with that gaminess one gets from good goose fat. It has to be French - if not from your own bird - and of a high quality.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Langham said:


> Lamb has been mentioned so I will disclose my own forthcoming Christmas treat of a leg of Shetland lamb, given to me by a friend who has a small flock of them. Besides being notable for their ability to digest seaweed, Shetland sheep have tawny almost golden fleeces and are smaller and more nimble than most breeds of sheep, so I am anticipating that the meat may be somewhat leaner, but other than that I am uncertain exactly what to expect. I shall roast it very slowly on a bed of shallots and rosemary. It will be served with roast root vegetables and red cabbage, with a redcurrant and wine sauce.


A fantastic tip when roasting lamb is to make a number of small bur deep incisions into the flesh. Then wrap a few rosemary needles with sliver of garlic with anchovies - yes anchovies - and stuff about 10 or 12 in each incision. Sear the lamb first in a pan before inserting the rosemary/anchovy. Now, you're not going to get fishy tasting lamb - so don't worry. The anchovy melts while roasting. What you will get is the most amazing and deeply savoury lamb you've ever tasted. The principle is based on the Japanese notion of "Umami" or "pleasant savory taste". I'd also recommend adding a some root veg to the bed on which you roast and press the mushy pulp after roasting(with some of the pan liquor through a sieve to aid your stock.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

VictorRomeo said:


> A fantastic tip when roasting lamb is to make a number of small bur deep incisions into the flesh. Then wrap a few rosemary needles with sliver of garlic with anchovies - yes anchovies - and stuff about 10 or 12 in each incision.


to any American readers... Do NOT try this ^ at home unless you are 100% sure that your lamb comes from another country (besides domestic, Australian is most common here in the states)... American lamb has been bred to taste nothing like lamb should, more subtle, more "American" friendly... If you try the above (which *is* an outstanding way to roast a leg) with American lamb, you will get fishy tasting lamb... American lamb is so bad, I will not even order it at a restaurant unless I know for 100% certainty where they source their lamb from


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

^
Now that I've never heard of before. I suppose I'm somewhat spoiled as in this part of the world we have some of the best meats and dairy on the planet. In season, spring lamb is a joy to behold. Milk lamb is a little light for me as I prefer it a little older and grass fed on the side of a mountain for a few more months.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

WouldaShoulda said:


> Where you live, I'd think finding duck and deer would be easy!!


Yup, flocks(?) of wild turkey too! Finding them is easy...killing, cleaning, and butchering is another matter altogether.

You do see farms where they advertise prime beef and other meat products, but I've been wary of going there. I may be naive, but I'd like to think that my meat products have been given a cursory glance by the USDA before I consider buying them from a stranger. But I've always been curious about those places.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Langham said:


> I'm very sorry indeed to read that, SHP. I've always imagined there to be an abundance of game and fowl in North America, not to mention wild salmon. What you need there is one of these:


Great picture! If we saw something like that in America, my wife would FREAK OUT! She thinks food comes from a grocery store. Her first question after calming down would be, "Is that legal?" or "Why are they being so cruel to those birds?"

That bicycle is interesting as well.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

VictorRomeo said:


> A fantastic tip when roasting lamb is to make a number of small bur deep incisions into the flesh. Then wrap a few rosemary needles with sliver of garlic with anchovies - yes anchovies - and stuff about 10 or 12 in each incision. Sear the lamb first in a pan before inserting the rosemary/anchovy. Now, you're not going to get fishy tasting lamb - so don't worry. The anchovy melts while roasting. What you will get is the most amazing and deeply savoury lamb you've ever tasted. The principle is based on the Japanese notion of "Umami" or "pleasant savory taste". I'd also recommend adding a some root veg to the bed on which you roast and press the mushy pulp after roasting(with some of the pan liquor through a sieve to aid your stock.


Great tip! Adding anchovies? Never would have thought of it, but your explanation makes perfect sense.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

VictorRomeo said:


> ^
> Now that I've never heard of before. I suppose I'm somewhat spoiled as in this part of the world we have some of the best meats and dairy on the planet. In season, spring lamb is a joy to behold. Milk lamb is a little light for me as I prefer it a little older and grass fed on the side of a mountain for a few more months.


The anchovy idea is still intriguing though. I wonder if that concept is generalizable to other recipes...possibly in smaller amounts.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

salgy said:


> This early, any good butcher shop (whether inside a grocery or free standing) should be able to special order you at least a duck, if not a goose... Worst case, I can order & FedEx you one :biggrin2:


It might be easier to poach one from <ahem> Snow Hill Pond.

If there are any Fish and Game officials reading this...just kidding.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> ...I may be naive, but I'd like to think that my meat products have been given a cursory glance by the USDA before I consider buying them from a stranger. But I've always been curious about those places.


Beef/lamb/deer are generally safe products and are difficult to mess up.

Poultry is another matter and much more likely to kill you or make you wish you were. (No matter how slight)

Just like I won't eat a wild pig, but deer is OK.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> The anchovy idea is still intriguing though. I wonder if that concept is generalizable to other recipes...possibly in smaller amounts.


Absolutley there are! They are an amazing and natural flavour enhancer to pies, stews, deep soups, casseroles and so on. Use with most all meats and fish. Smoked anchovies too can be a particularly amazing addition to a goulash for example.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

VictorRomeo said:


> Absolutley there are! They are an amazing and natural flavour enhancer to pies, stews, deep soups, casseroles and so on. Use with most all meats and fish. Smoked anchovies too can be a particularly amazing addition to a goulash for example.


Thank you, this gives me an idea. I might try to add an anchovy (or two) when next I make braised short ribs. I've gotten to a competent level with the braising part, but it seems that the flavor profile is a little light. I braise with beer and have tried root vegetables and even prunes to add complexity to the flavor, but an anchovy or two might add that extra layer of flavor.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Thank you, this gives me an idea. I might try to add an anchovy (or two) when next I make braised short ribs. I've gotten to a competent level with the braising part, but it seems that the flavor profile is a little light. I braise with beer and have tried root vegetables and even prunes to add complexity to the flavor, but an anchovy or two might add that extra layer of flavor.


Well all you have to do is chop them up and let them melt in.... if you think they are too salty as they are soaked in brine for months, soak them in water first.... Ortiz(Spanish) is the brand to look out for if you can get them.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

WouldaShoulda said:


> Beef/lamb/deer are generally safe products and are difficult to mess up.
> 
> Poultry is another matter and much more likely to kill you or make you wish you were. (No matter how slight)
> 
> Just like I won't eat a wild pig, but deer is OK.


Ecoli will kill you... It's found in beef...

That said, SHP, even the small farmers should have an onsite USDA inspector... It is doubtful that they are doing the slaughtering & packaging there... There is most likely a local processor that handles all the local farms needs & I would be willing to bet that they have a USDA inspector...


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

VictorRomeo said:


> ^
> Now that I've never heard of before. I suppose I'm somewhat spoiled as in this part of the world we have some of the best meats and dairy on the planet. In season, spring lamb is a joy to behold. Milk lamb is a little light for me as I prefer it a little older and grass fed on the side of a mountain for a few more months.


Yeah, it's a travesty... American lamb tastes no stronger than grass fed beef... Not lamby at all... It's a real shame that we have to screw up a good thing to get more people to eat it... I envy you & the real lamb you get to eat, unlike the watered-down American version


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

VictorRomeo said:


> A fantastic tip when roasting lamb is to make a number of small bur deep incisions into the flesh. Then wrap a few rosemary needles with sliver of garlic with anchovies - yes anchovies - and stuff about 10 or 12 in each incision. Sear the lamb first in a pan before inserting the rosemary/anchovy. Now, you're not going to get fishy tasting lamb - so don't worry. The anchovy melts while roasting. What you will get is the most amazing and deeply savoury lamb you've ever tasted. The principle is based on the Japanese notion of "Umami" or "pleasant savory taste". I'd also recommend adding a some root veg to the bed on which you roast and press the mushy pulp after roasting(with some of the pan liquor through a sieve to aid your stock.


Many thanks for your tip VR. I knew about slipping slivers of garlic into the meat, but have never heard of using anchovies in this way. I think I will give it a try - it sounds very interesting.

You mention milk-lamb, which I take it is a year or under? Most lamb here (in the shops) seems to be closer to two years, and I usually buy Welsh lamb. I don't think I've ever seen Irish lamb, but I can readily believe it is good - the conditions could hardly be improved upon for rearing lamb surely? For beef though I usually try to buy Scottish, but have occasionally had some of the ancient English breeds which are very good too.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> You do see farms where they advertise prime beef and other meat products, but I've been wary of going there. I may be naive, but I'd like to think that my meat products have been given a cursory glance by the USDA before I consider buying them from a stranger. But I've always been curious about those places.


These places might be worth a try. I don't know what hygiene and slaughtering regulations you have in the USA, but here, animals have to be taken to centralised abattoirs to comply with European regulations; this usually involves long journeys for the animals, which understandably become stressed. Stress affects the quality of the meat quite badly. If you can get meat that has been slaughtered on the farm or locally, and then hung properly so it is nicely mature, the difference from most shop-bought pre-packaged meat is astounding.

Incidentally I was in Oxford today and visited the covered market there. There are several butchers there, much like the one in the photo, with not only geese, pheasants, partridges, mallards and turkeys all still in feather and hanging down from great racks, with sawdust on the ground to catch the blood, but also entire deer carcasses, still in their hides.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

salgy said:


> Ecoli will kill you... It's found in beef...


It is found in fruits and vegtables too.

I will simply take reasonable chances with many foods but simply less so with Salmonella and poultry.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Langham said:


> Many thanks for your tip VR. I knew about slipping slivers of garlic into the meat, but have never heard of using anchovies in this way. I think I will give it a try - it sounds very interesting.
> 
> You mention milk-lamb, which I take it is a year or under? Most lamb here (in the shops) seems to be closer to two years, and I usually buy Welsh lamb. I don't think I've ever seen Irish lamb, but I can readily believe it is good - the conditions could hardly be improved upon for rearing lamb surely? For beef though I usually try to buy Scottish, but have occasionally had some of the ancient English breeds which are very good too.


Milk lamb is meat from an unweaned lamb up to about 6 weeks. Spring lamb is the most popular here and has been mostly milk reared but also grazes on grass as it gets older. Slaughtered before the 1st of July, age ranges from about 3 to 5 months. the best lamb here hails from Kerry and the west coast in general. Irish Lamb is also exported - M&S sell a lot of it - in fact most of their beef and lamb is Irish. It's expensive though. I have one of those butchers in my town - sawdust and all. He rears his own cows, pigs and chickens.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

salgy said:


> Yeah, it's a travesty... American lamb tastes no stronger than grass fed beef... Not lamby at all... It's a real shame that we have to screw up a good thing to get more people to eat it... I envy you & the real lamb you get to eat, unlike the watered-down American version


The sheer scale of food production in the US is astonishing. One of the best things about living on a small island is that the culture of small hold farming is still a major part of food production. Sure, some supermarket chains continue to drive prices down and that will cut costs no doubt - the Aldis and Lidls of the work sell cheap frozen imports but their chiller cabinets are tiny here. When we want beef, pork and lamb it's almost always Irish. There is zero factory farming used in beef and lamb production and all are pasture reared for as long as is safe for the beast to be left outside then fed silage indoors for a couple of months. Zero anti-biotic and growth hormone free too again by law. DNA traceback to the animal is also a legal requirement. We're quite zealous to ensure that our meat is not intensivly reared - and it's not - which is why it's very sought after in Europe.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

VictorRomeo said:


> The sheer scale of food production in the US is astonishing. One of the best things about living on a small island is that the culture of small hold farming is still a major part of food production. Sure, some supermarket chains continue to drive prices down and that will cut costs no doubt - the Aldis and Lidls of the work sell cheap frozen imports but their chiller cabinets are tiny here. When we want beef, pork and lamb it's almost always Irish. There is zero factory farming used in beef and lamb production and all are pasture reared for as long as is safe for the beast to be left outside then fed silage indoors for a couple of months. Zero anti-biotic and growth hormone free too again by law. DNA traceback to the animal is also a legal requirement. We're quite zealous to ensure that our meat is not intensivly reared - and it's not - which is why it's very sought after in Europe.


Very interesting discussion. Thanks to VR, Langham, WS, and, of course, Salgy for contributing. Good stuff.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Langham said:


> Many thanks for your tip VR. I knew about slipping slivers of garlic into the meat, but have never heard of using anchovies in this way. I think I will give it a try - it sounds very interesting.
> 
> You mention milk-lamb, which I take it is a year or under? Most lamb here (in the shops) seems to be closer to two years, and I usually buy Welsh lamb. I don't think I've ever seen Irish lamb, but I can readily believe it is good - the conditions could hardly be improved upon for rearing lamb surely? For beef though I usually try to buy Scottish, but have occasionally had some of the ancient English breeds which are very good too.


If it older than 1 year it is actually mutton. Very nice, but not lamb! Any breed of beef can be good, but it depends upon how it has lived, been fed on, and how long it has been hung for. Having said that, Hereford, Galloway, Angus, Charolais and Dexter are particularly good.

For lamb or mutton, Welsh, Irish (Connemara) or Wensleydale are best.
Purely my own view, of course.

Two, now deceased friends and colleagues of my late father had an interesting tradition for Christmas. One always had a turkey. Just to himself, with nothing else. The other had a goose, again, by itself, just for him. Their respective wives had something else. I eventually found out that they had survived their ship being torpedoed, and kept each other alive during the days that they were in a lifeboat in the N.Atlantic by arguing whether turkey or goose was best. The promised themselves that if they survived that they would each have their choice of bird for Christmas, and they did....


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Chouan said:


> If it older than 1 year it is actually mutton. Very nice, but not lamb!


Depends. Between 12 and 24 months it is also known as yearling lamb but also yearling mutton. Semantics, I know! Kerry lamb is as good as Connemara too. Both fantastic.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

I thought the limit was two years but if you know otherwise I will admit to being mistaken. I have sometimes enjoyed Dexter, although some find the meat too finely textured - as you say, how the beast has been treated both before and after death are critical factors. The only meats I would not consider eating for Christmas are horse or that of any carnivore.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

Back to Christmas dinner. In my world Christmas lunch is a very traditional affair. Well, traditional in the the sense that it's pretty much the same thing every year and has been since my childhood. I do however, make slight changes to the prep. and method without changing the ingredients.

We start with a very classic dish - mellon balls in a port wine and cream sauce. 

Then onto soup - vegetable but not vegetarian - stock is made with turkey giblets and roasted chicken wings.

Then to the main event; Roast turkey and baked ham. I buy my turkey(bronze) from by butcher who rears them organically(certified). Ham too. Turkey is roasted basted with butter unter the skin and with a sausage meat, sage, onion and thyme stuffing. My wife does this. I do the ham. Boiled, well simmered, in good cider then baked with a simple muscovado, honey and mustard glaze. Pineapple added too. No cloves though - Devil's spawn!

Served with goose fat roased potatoes, mashed potatoes. Veg is a saute of julienned carrots, green beans topped and tailed and the essential Brussels sprout(halved). They're steamed first to get them going and then sauteed in a large pan(wok actually) with chopped almonds until caramalised and a special chilli butter I make with lemon juice and crushed black pepper. This kick really lifts the veg to a very special place. Works wonders with the sprouts. Chipolatas and pigs in blankets - roasted with the turkey - also served.

Sauce is roasting gravy with the giblets and chicken stock and also a bread sauce. I'm not so gone on bread sauce, but wife is. The pineapple baked along with the ham is also served for the ham.

Desert is a sherry trifle - I make the jelly with champagne, fresh raspberry juice, sugar and whole fresh raspberries. I use gelatine leaves for the set. I also make a fresh custard, topped with whipped cream and candies fruits I buy from Fortnum and Mason. There's always a pudding with brandy butter for my Mother in Law.

That's it this year. We'll get two or three days eating out of the meat. The 26th - or St. Stephen's day as it is called here - requires a very long walk in the local woods.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Standards on the Swedish julbord (Yuletide table) are:

meatballs, chipolatas, a ham, lots of different types of herring and sauces, salmon (cold and warm smoked), brawn, various other cold meats from various parts of the pig and moose.


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## ajo (Oct 22, 2007)

Christmas is summer in the antipodes and it could be 30c on the day or hotter. And after many years of getting up and cooking a turkey I have at last convinced the wife that seafood is the go, and there will be a roast chicken but only a small one.

Prawns marinated in lime juice and chilli grilled.

Salt and Pepper Calamari pan fried.

Salmon Ceviche I will cure it two days before and then serve it dill mayo.

Selection of green salads 

Bruschetta 

Grilled Eggplant, zucchini and asparagus 

Roast Desiree and Kipfler potatoes with garlic and rosemary

Steamed peas and asparagus 

Selection of prime leg ham and speck 

Roast Free Range Chicken with gravy

Twice Baked Goats Cheese soufflés 

Home made mango ice creme 

Mixed fresh berries marinated in Grand Mariner with double creme 

Plum pudding with creme anglaise 

Mince tarts 

Selection of cheese and crackers

Panaforte 

And wash it down with some Victorian and Tasmanian Pinot Noir, a NZ Sav Blanc, and 'The Patricia' 2010 Brown Brothers Dessert Wine along with a Hendricks GnT and a few cold ones. 

Then hit gym the next morning to work it all off 



Interesting reading about the lamb, the wife developed a fetish for it when pregnant years ago and one of the best methods I still use is a slow cooked Greek style which takes about five hours, the lamb is has a large bulb of garlic in it then sealed and placed on bed of rosemary at 100c then after two hours increase it to 150c and the last 45min crank it up to 200c. Another one which due to her Irish heritage is to marinate the lamb in Guinness for a few hours then seal and cook it off on a bed of potatoes.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

^^^ Very nice. Sounds delicious.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

SHP, I'm curious, what did you decide to go with for your christmas dinner?


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Both turkey and a spiral cut, brown sugar glazed ham. I cannot go without my Christmas ham, no way, no how.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

LOL. On Thanksgiving we went with a "mail-order Tur-duc-hen" as the main course...what a disappointment and disappointment that turned out to be. The family will kill me if a fresh (never frozen), slow roasted turkey is not the featured main course at the Christmas table in the eagle's roost!


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## ajo (Oct 22, 2007)

A very Merry Christmas to all from the antipodes. Its 3pm here on Christmas Day lunch is over the washing up is done and its time for desert with a very nice Victorian botrytis semillon and there remains the cheese. Oh and of course Betty Windsor's Christmas message.

A peaceful joyous holiday season to all, may your day be filled with the love of family & friends, good food, good wine and that special sartorial gift your lusting after.


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## Flairball (Dec 9, 2012)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas dinner. I would say my dinner was a success, though we've yet to move on to the pudding. I've been on a ketogenic diet for well over a year so, a few of my offerings may seem a bit different. Cooked up a small ham, roasted radish, carrots, green beans, sautéed brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets, and a keto Yorkshire pudding. Tossed on a little mushroom gravy, too. I made a keto pudding for later. It smells greatly of spiced rum.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I did a roast leg of venison, orange sweet potatoes, peas and chocolate sundaes (homemade!) last night. Since the forecast called for snow this evening, my daughter went home early so tonight will be sandwiches of leftovers and more ice cream.


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

The ritual of a prime rib at Christmas is a favorite here. I salt the fat cap and roast at a very basic 350 and remove when the internal temperature hits 135. I find that a well marbled roast is more tasty at a higher internal temp than a steak, which I prefer saignante. 

Although a prime rib induces sticker shock, I have found that when the last bit is fit only for the dog, it was not too bad on a per serving basis. The 6.3 pound two rib roast fed five with several having seconds. The next day it provided three cold roast beef sandwiches with buttered bread and Chow Chow piccalilli. Then it fed two of us hot roast beef sandwiches. Then my son had a hearty reheated beef and potatoes with gravy dinner. Now I shall make a few quarts of broth for French onion soup.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

I put the final scraps of our Yuletide Prime Rib to rest at lunch today. Reheated the leftover rib in the microwave, put it on a plate with a generous scoop of grated Horseradish...it tasted great and my sinuses are now completely clear! LOL.


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