How’s that pre-Christmas stress going? Are the party menus taking shape? After reviewing the essential seafood recipes, today we bring you the 77 meat recipes for this Christmas, another basic pillar at the tables. There are many meat options to offer on these special days, from the most traditional dishes to more current and somewhat exotic alternatives.
Meat has always been a highly appreciated expensive product that was reserved for the most special occasions. That is why it usually occupies a privileged role in Christmas menus, although the piece in question varies according to each region. My mother, for example, always remembers her Murcian Christmas with turkey, while my in-laws from Madrid have always preferred roast suckling pig. Do you need inspiration to choose? Here you have options for all tastes.
Turkey, the king of the party
The roast turkey and stuffing gains prominence at Christmas, especially because of its size. The traditional Christmas turkey recipe is simple if we dedicate your time with a little love and, although we can get out of the ordinary with alternatives such as turkey tenderloin with quince, nothing looks better on the table than a well-stuffed whole turkey, like the one in the following recipe that we present to you complete.
We start with a turkey at room temperature, clean and well dried, which has preferably been in brine overnight in the fridge. For the filling We hydrate the prunes and dried apricots in a bowl with hot water or liquor and chop them.
Wash and chop the leek. Chop the bacon and the walnuts, peel and grate the apple and mix with the rest of the ingredients, letting the bread soak up the broth. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Season the turkey inside and out and we fill it with the charade. We sew the opening so that the filling does not come out and we join the legs to the body with kitchen thread. Place the turkey in a baking dish, breast side up.
With the help of a syringe we inject the sweet wine in different points of the bird so that it is very juicy. Then we smear it in butter and roast it, lowering the temperature to 170ºC, for three hours. After the first hour we cover with aluminum foil, to protect it from the heat and prevent it from burning. We continue roasting for two more hours.
To find out if it’s ready, we make a small cut in the thigh and if any pink liquid comes out, we leave it for a few more minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before taking to the table, carve and serve. We accompany with the juices that it has released during baking as a sauce and the garnish of our preference.
A chicken never disappoints
Baked chicken is also another great Christmas option, especially if we are not many diners at the table, and we can prepare it in many ways.
There are recipes for baked chicken something for all tastes, but you might be more interested in something original like the Villaroy chicken lollipops. If you don’t want to roast a whole animal, you can also opt for dishes such as drumsticks stuffed with mushrooms and cheese with bacon. You have many more recipes to choose from:
Lamb, very traditional
Lamb meat is more common throughout the year in specific regions of our gastronomy, but at Christmas it becomes one of the favorite options for many menus. The most typical is roast the leg or shoulder, although other pieces such as chops are also traditional at parties. If you are looking for a very traditional recipe, you only have to bet on the lamb roasted with thyme, and if you are looking for a different touch, try for example the leg of lamb stuffed with cheese, ham and dates. In the event that you are looking for a stew to turn on the oven, try the lamb tajine with zucchini, raisins and mint or a traditional lamb stew.
Pork, Christmas basic
If the pig is an animal from which everything takes advantage, it is clear that it cannot be missing from the Christmas tables either. In general, it is an inexpensive meat that can give a lot of play depending on the pieces we choose, although sirloin and tenderloin They are the most successful. Good examples are the recipe for pork tenderloin with grape sauce, ideal for New Year’s Eve, and the old-fashioned tenderloin, very easy and can be prepared in advance. Also typical is the roast pigto which you can give a twist by cooking only the legs with a rich spicy tangerine sauce.
Veal, essential
Although I don’t remember veal having a presence on my family’s Christmas menus, I am aware that it is an essential meat for many homes at Christmas. There are lots of great pieces to show off, such as succulent cheeks in cherry sauce or a good sirloin in Berta casserole that can also be made with beef. The roasts are also very traditional, such as the roast beef round recipe or the roast beef with brandy and tangerine, with a more original touch.
Small poultry and other meats
Christmas is a special occasion where we like to prepare different dishes from what we eat the rest of the year. That is why there is also room for somewhat different meats that are usually seen less on our tables -although it depends on each region and each house-. other birds like the duck, the partridge or the picantón They are also common on Christmas menus, such as pickled quail that are so gamey. Nor can we forget the healthy rabbit, which is dressed up for parties in dishes such as rabbit with garlic, or other pieces of beef as well as veal.
I hope that with this comprehensive compilation of Christmas meat recipes you have found inspiration to finish planning your party menus this year. Sometimes it is difficult to please all the diners at the table, but surely you will find the perfect recipes to hit the mark. And if you celebrate vegetarian or vegan parties, stay tuned for the next few days because we will also give you a good selection of recipes to succeed.
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Do not miss our special with the 215 best Christmas recipes and 16 special menus. and if you need ideas for specific dishesHere’s a good starting point: