The Holiday Meal
A big piece of meat is the holiday centerpiece and a large part of our communal, historic and traditional celebration.
In the current situation many people find themselves in this year, the thought of spending around $50 to $100 dollars on one single food item can be daunting. A rib roast can cost more than $100 if your family is large enough. A Goose cost more than $50 and even the cost conscientious Ham or Turkey can still be $30.00 to $50.00 depending on its weight. But using this holiday meal centerpiece correctly can actually make it quite economical. It will feed numerous people many times.
First — think about how many people you are feeding with the meat. Then think about the leftovers and then what you can do with those leftovers. This big piece of meat, the age old and family tradition it conjures up is essential to our family memories and it goes far beyond a single purchase price.
If you are going with the rib of beef, seriously consider buying an extra rib or two. You will have a good old-fashioned English cold roast the next and day. There will be bits left for a hash or even a Cottage Pie (Shepherd’s Pie is the one with lamb) on the third day. Save your Christmas dinner vegetable left-overs too. Bake them in the Cottage Pie as well because no one will know you re-used them. You do not need to stick solely with carrots and peas. Put any and all vegetables in there with the meat and cover with a layer of mashed potatoes. Or a store bought Phyllo dough for the crust. Lastly you can make an exceptional beef broth with the bones, or soup or a full stew if there’s enough meat. (Apologies to the family dog, but let us consider ourselves first.) Leftover Ham bones and the turkey carcass also lend themselves perfectly to the same usages.
You can dice up ham leftovers and for a ham salad, a perfect third day holiday lunch or “buffet stretcher” for a party or relatives who won’t leave. People might get sick of turkey sandwiches and won’t eat the dark meat, but they will gobble up turkey-vegetable or even turkey-lentil soup. And the dark meat is a non issue in soup!
Consider the effort, which is minimal. The holidays might seem to present a daunting list of things to do and buy and both money and time in short supply. But a large piece of meat or a fowl, paired with roasted or baked root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, parsnips, yams and squash are fool-proof to prepare. And they leave the microwave open for something like broccoli. (If you feel the need for something green). You merely need to sprinkle with Kosher Salt, a little fresh pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and cook till soft and beautifully caramelized. Make extra — because of that pie I mentioned.
Holiday Roast Guidelines:
Beef:
A good piece of beef should be served rare in the middle cuts. This will give you medium or well at the ends.
Fowl:
Goose, Duck, even Chicken tend to be self basting because of the layer of fat they have under their skin. I’ve never had an issue with a dry turkey by simply following the 15 minute per pound rule and cooking at a medium high temp like 325 F. Cook until the leg wiggles easily and the juices run clear. Crank the heat at the end (for the last 15 minutes), to brown the skin if you need to. Before cooking rub the bird with butter and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Here’s the big secret: add 2 or 3 cups of apple cider to the roasting pan. The liquid is important to adding moisture to the meat and the flavorful taste of cider pares extremely well with turkey. Just baste every 30 minutes.
Ham:
Most hams are cured and already cooked. Essentially they just need to be re-heated. If you’ve purchased a ‘fresh ham’ it is really a pork roast or a pork leg. It needs to cook 20 to 25 minutes per pound at 325 F (less if it’s boneless) till it reaches 160 degrees. Add a bunch of seasonings like garlic, salt, pepper rosemary and/or periphery spices like star anise or juniper berries or even put sliced apples and pears in the roasting pan. Pork is so versatile you can decide if want to go the savory route or the sweetened. It’s your decision if you want to glaze it.
Remember, it’s ‘The Holidays’ — so create some memories with your family around the table!
