bbigj
New Member
Posts: 7
|
Post by bbigj on Dec 12, 2009 15:33:08 GMT -5
I am looking for suggestions for something to cook for Xmas (the title is a hat tip to Dr. Seuss). Last year I did a ham that I injected with a pineapple marinade, and that came out great. I was planning to do the same thing again, but I just found out that the Xmas-eve dinner is going to feature a ham and a duplication would not go over well with the crowd. The other ideas I had were
1) Rib roast. The drawbacks here are a) price, and b) one of the meat eaters in the group likes to avoid beef (although he does have a "hospitality clause").
2) Turkey. I smoked a turkey in my ECB over T'giving and it was awesome. Even though there is no overlap in the crowds, I'm just not too excited about another Turkey.
3) Lamb. I just don't really like lamb.
So I'm looking for a large, festive piece of meat to cook. Time and difficulty are not an issue here. A four hour preparation with a 12 hour cook time is not at all unreasonable. I prefer the idea of taking a leathery piece of meat like a brisket or pork shoulder and turning them into something delicious (obviously, both of these fall far short on the "festive" criteria) rather than spending a fortune on a nice piece of meat and just trying not to screw it up. Both indoor and outdoor cooking methods are options. Any suggestions?
|
|
|
Post by BBQ Butcher on Dec 12, 2009 16:53:28 GMT -5
My first thought was "How many are you feeding?"
Two great presentations you might want to consider......1) a Crown Roast of Pork, stuffed with either mashed potatoes or sausage and 2) a 'Fresh' Ham (completely different from it's city brine injected cousin).
I've got a Christmas event that I'm heading out to now, but will certainly give your request some thought over night.
|
|
bbigj
New Member
Posts: 7
|
Post by bbigj on Dec 12, 2009 17:51:33 GMT -5
There will probably be about 6 meat eating adults (plus a few vegetarians) and a couple of meat eating toddlers.
Give it some thought, I'm eager to hear what you come up with.
|
|
|
Post by BBQ Butcher on Dec 13, 2009 10:30:59 GMT -5
Chef Salads for the veggietarians ;D Well, I still like the idea of a stuffed Crown Roast of Pork. Shank Half of Fresh Pork Ham (leg not shoulder) with a Cherry Coke Marinade and the appropriate holiday sides. How about some Pit Style Beef that you could slice right at the table and impress the shit heck out of every one??? You probably still have time to order, or make your own Turducken. That's a fairly impressive meal. Not one of my favorites, but lots of folks swear by them. Here is a good link for doing your own at home. There is my Bacon Wrapped Pork Picnic. Nice and juicy...adds to the impressiveness if they see you take it out of the oven or grill and unwrap it in front of them. And definitely different, almost a one dish recipe (just add the salad on the side) is a Pork Pie. Lastly, my mind is gone now (wayyy too much thinking in the AM ) is an Italian Christmas. Apptetizers (antipasta), salads, pasta dishes (with and without meat), fish, meats and desserts. I might come up with something else today, if so I'll post it here.
|
|
bbigj
New Member
Posts: 7
|
Post by bbigj on Dec 13, 2009 14:14:29 GMT -5
YES! Fantastic suggestions. I came to the right place. I really like the bacon wrapped picnic and the turducken ideas. I might even do some combination of the two.I will be sure to try the other ideas too when the holiday pressure is not on me. As it turns out, I did a coke ham yesterday for the family. It was a bit simpler that the link you sent me. Just pour a coke (or Dr. Pepper) over a ham in a large pot, cover, and cook the pot at 250-300 degrees for 4-6 hours. When it is done you can just lift the bone right out of the center of the ham. Delicious. Not much for presentation, though. Even though I just signed up for your forum, we've had a few email exchanges. The first time was about 5 years ago when you helped identify a mystery meat that was sold as "tri tip".
|
|
|
Post by BBQ Butcher on Dec 13, 2009 14:40:03 GMT -5
I'm glad I could help
|
|