Christmas Meat: What To Cook This Festive Season

There are very few things like gathering around a table laden with delicious food at Christmas. Honey-baked ham, smokey pork chops right off the barbecue, a rack of lamb seasoned with rosemary – there’s so much to love about Christmas meat. And enjoying exceptional Australian meat over the holidays is a true pastime.

Here’s what we’re cooking up this Christmas, and the best choices for your Christmas Day menu.

Christmas Roast Beef

Rich and full of luscious flavour, a Christmas roast beef is an ideal meat to cook up for Christmas. Cooked right, it has a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and it’s also highly versatile. You could opt for a beef Wellington, or a popular cut for the holidays such as classic prime rib, a succulent tenderloin roast, or a flavourful strip roast.

When it comes to cooking your Christmas roast beef, make sure to have the right tools on hand too. An ovenproof meat thermometer will better help you check the temperature of your roast beef without needing to open the oven or poke holes in the meat, which can let out delicious juice. Preheat the oven, season your beef, and cook low and slow with fat-side-up and bone-side-down. You’ll also want to give your beef time to rest after cooking before you carve up a storm.

Christmas Lamb

Warm and comforting, roast lamb is an Australian staple and can be enjoyed in a many number of ways, such as a leg of lamb, lamb ribs, lamb shoulder and of course classic lamb chops. It also holds up well to heavy seasoning, so you can enjoy intense flavour including rosemary, lemon, pomegranate, mint and harissa. A very simple way to prepare your lamb is to pan-sear it first, followed by basting in a herb and garlic butter before finishing it off in the oven.

Lamb also pairs beautifully with a range of salads, which perfectly fit an Australian summer.

Christmas Pork Roast

A crispy roast pork is an ideal Christmas meat, as is succulent pork belly, porchetta, and a range of other delectable festive dishes. And as many can attest to, few things go down better than a honey-roasted or smoked Christmas ham – it’s more or less a staple! In fact, Christmas hams are usually prepared a few days ahead and served cold.

If you prefer a roast option however, pork loin, pork shoulder, belly and leg are among the best Christmas meat cuts for roasting. Choosing cuts with a generous layer of fat helps to keep the meat moist and flavourful during cooking. A pork loin roast with a delicious stuffing makes for a great centrepiece at the Christmas table.

Christmas Dinner Turkey

Turkey is another Christmas meat that is more often served cold during an Australian Christmas due to the heat at that time of year. However, there’s definitely a place on the table for a roasted Christmas turkey – perhaps one of the most traditional Christmas meals out there. Paired with stuffing, potatoes, gravy and vegetables, turkey is a hearty choice for your Christmas meal.

Eat Better Meat This Christmas

Whatever your business may be serving this Christmas, rest assured that Melrina Wholesale Meats has a range of Christmas meats to cater to your needs. From premium right through to budget cuts, we supply restaurants, butchers and other food services with quality meats at wholesale prices all across Australia including Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.