What should I cook for Christmas Eve dinner?

[JonT]

All the men in the fam cook on Christmas eve and I need a somewhat easy ( or easy) dish to prepare and impress. I was thinking some spicy pork tacos but am open to anything! Please include recipe and instructions. Help!!

[vash]

Can you get fresh clams?

[imcarthur]

Easy (in a way) . . . beef tenderloin roast. With roast potatoes. Gravy.

Ian

[crustychief]

Prime rib.

[VincentVega]

Lots of ways to skin a cat, but here is an example of simple roast beef. Add some roasted or mashed potatoes and some veggies and you cant go wrong.

Roast Beef Recipe | Simply Recipes

[JonT]

I know there are a million ways I can go with this but I'm looking for tried and true awesomeness. I can get fresh clams flown in no prob. Prime rib sounds delish. Any more sure-fire suggestions? Looking for a little wow-factor too. I know I'm asking alot....

[Dueller]

Simple but impressive and different:

Grilled lamb chops with Kahlua/White wine creole mustard sauce
Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Rosemary new ptatos

If interested I'll post recipe...

I know you're in Beef country but it is a unique way to serve laamb in lieu of mint

How many are you serving?

[craigster59]

Doesn't get any easier than this. Just go to a butcher and order pork shanks, skin on, and have him/her saw the bottom so it sits upright in the baking dish...



It's very good, easy, great winter food. Leke, leke, leke!

[Dueller]

You could also do Osso Bucco and polenta for diifferent pork dish

If beef is derigeur for your xmas eve meals and you have a dutch oven, I have a recipe for Brisket cooked in a ginger/balsamic vinegar/honey sauce with dried plums, dried appricots and sweet potatos that is festive, easy, unique and can all be cooked in one pot (durch oven).

[skunked]

Originally Posted by crustychief

Prime rib.

yep.

Easy and delicious.

[masraum]

Belgian Beef Beer and Onion Stew (Carbonnade a la flamande).

Carbonnade a la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew) :: America’s Test Kitchen :: Recipes

[Dueller]

Brisket with Dried Fruit






COOKING TIMES
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 3 hrs 15 min



INGREDIENTS

3-1⁄2-lb thin-cut beef brisket, excess fat trimmed


3⁄4 tsp salt


1⁄4 tsp pepper


2 Tbsp oil


2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced


1 cup beef broth


3 Tbsp each balsamic vinegar and honey


1⁄2 tsp each ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger


2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1-1⁄2-in. chunks


1 cup each pitted dried plums (prunes) and apricots



INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Season brisket with 1⁄4 tsp salt and the pepper.





2. Heat oil in a heavy 5-qt Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add brisket; brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove.





3. Add onions to pan drippings; sauté 5 minutes or until golden.



4. Meanwhile mix broth, vinegar, honey, spices and remaining salt in a bowl.





5. Remove pan from heat. Put meat on onions, add broth mixture and cover tightly.





6. Bake 2 hours or until beef is almost tender. Put sweet potatoes and dried fruit around beef. Cover tightly; bake 1 hour or until beef and potatoes are tender.



7. Transfer beef to a cutting board. Remove potatoes and fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving platter. Cut meat in thin slices across the grain. Skim fat off pan juices; spoon juices over beef, potatoes and fruit

[M.D. Holloway]

Turducken

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Easy (in a way) . . . beef tenderloin roast. With roast potatoes. Gravy.

Ian

Or a good pork loin with the above. Taters, gravy and so on, with some garlic bread or the like on the side. Pecan or pumpkin pie for dessert.

[Joeaksa]

[QUOTE=Dueller;6429509]Brisket with Dried Fruit

This as well sounds great...

Anything traditional... meat and taters for me.

[Dueller]

[QUOTE=Joeaksa;6429522]

Originally Posted by Dueller

Brisket with Dried Fruit

This as well sounds great...

Anything traditional... meat and taters for me.

Its great because it takes 15 minutes to prepare but cooks for 3 1/2 hours....leaving you nothing but 3 1/4 hour to drink while the aroma of the ginger and cinamon and clove wafts thru the house. Everybody's salivating while waiting. Sorta like a potpouri you can eat. lol

[vash]

if you can get good clams.

figure pound and a half per diner. less if it is an appetizer for your prime rib (PR is easy if you buy a probe thermometer)

big pot. brown some bacon pieces..render the fat. once crunchy take out the bacon bits.
dump in some leeks. (four leeks. you only use the white parts. chop them and float the bits in a bowl of water. leeks are filthy.)
dump in some shallots. big pinch of red pepper flakes. pepper, tiny bit of salt. TINY!
chop some chilantro. lots. chop the stems and put them into the pot. save the leaves.
pop in a tablespoon of tomato paste. get it all cooking. cover the pot.

once it is all soft dump in lots of chopped garlic..stir for 30 seconds. once it is all steamy, pour in your rinsed clams. cover. let it go until the clams just start to open. splash in some good white wine. dont go crazy. my first error was to use too much wine. just a good splash. once it is all done and the clams are opened..pour it all out into a big huge dish..(or multiple dishes) sprinkle with chopped green onions, the cilantro leaves..and pour on the bacon bits.

serve with huge hunks of crusty bread for dippy goodness. you will freak.

[vash]

if you have everything chopped and ready in little dishes. you can go from nothing to full meal in 10 minutes.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by crustychief

Prime rib.

i with crust on this one. i'd say crab, but being where you are the beef would be less expensive. fresh crab has worked in my family for 30+ years.. makes getting together with the fam nearly worth it.......

[Laneco]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm thinking about crashing Dueller's Christmas Eve! nom-nom-nom-nom!!


angela