348415 Tue Dec 05 15:53:00 -0800 2006 14 31 Home Cooking 0 2071541 I'm hosting a dinner party on Christmas Eve. So far I am making the following (there are 8 people): Roast Turkey and stuffing, gravy, etc. homemade cranberry sauce with pearl onions and golden raisins roasted root veg with the turkey sweet potato chipotle casserole green beans with portobello mushrooms, almonds, etc. salad my cousin is bringing french onion soup and my sister is bringing antipasto I'm leaning towards pear/ginger crisp for dessert. I want to make another meat because I like variety and I was planning on making lamb curry. I am finding out that a lot of people don't like to eat lamb. I liked the idea of making the lamb curry, because it's something I can make the day before that will taste delicious and won't need to take up too much time in my oven, since the turkey will hog the oven for most of the time. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for a meat dish (beef or veal I guess, because some of my guests won't eat pork)that I can make in advance and would be equally as yummy as lamb curry :) Tue Dec 05 15:53:00 -0800 2006 23415 pescatarian 1 2071577 Since the rest of your meal is not particularly asian, why not just make a nice goulash that's not too saucy. It kind of approximates what you had in mind without being lamb. I recently served it at a large (over 30) dinner, where the other meat was poultry. - great make-ahead dish and everyone I've ever served it to has loved it. Let me know if you need the recipe. Tue Dec 05 16:06:19 -0800 2006 2071541 26542 suse 2 2071625 I would love the recipe! Tue Dec 05 16:17:42 -0800 2006 2071577 41181 Rhee 3 2073239 Okay, this isn’t a real recipe – it’s just how I make it. My mother’s Southern German Gulasch: brown 2 lbs salted and peppered stew beef in olive oil until all liquid is gone, add 2 lbs onions, chopped fine, sauté until light brown almost all of the liquid is gone (these first two steps take a while), add water (not too much) – should turn into light brown gravy, add 1 wine glass full of red wine, 1-2 heaping tsps tomato paste, 1 heaping tsp. beef bouillion (I use “better than bouillion”), some chopped parsley, 2-3 bay leaves & sweet Hungarian paprika (that’s my addition) to your liking, a pinch of sugar, taste for saltiness, cover and simmer 2 1⁄2 hours or 15 minutes in pressure cooker. Stir some gravy flour with a bit more wine in a small bowl and add to sauce to thicken. It shouldn’t be too liquidy, you may not even need to do that. (Alternatively, you can toss the meet in flour before you brown it at the beginning.) Add two heaping Tbsp of sour cream at end, if desired. Sauteed mushrooms may also be added. I serve with Spaetzle. The key to this recipe is always to use the same quanity of beef and onions. Tue Dec 05 22:39:32 -0800 2006 2071625 26542 suse 1 2071579 You could go with the traditional roast ham, or something more inventive, like osso bucco. Sounds like a lovely meal! Tue Dec 05 16:06:47 -0800 2006 2071541 27754 AmandaEd 1 2071580 How about beef curry? I'm guessing you can easily substitute the beef for the lamb in your recipe...? Epicurious has a lovely recipe at their website called Fragrant Beef Curry that I've made numerous times in case you aren't sure about changing out the meats in the recipe you already have. Tue Dec 05 16:06:55 -0800 2006 2071541 11983 Val 2 2071603 I've actually looked at a couple of beef curry recipes and am considering it. My concern is that the lamb was so tender, I'm not sure the beef will be the same. Have you found the beef to be tender in your curry? Tue Dec 05 16:12:21 -0800 2006 2071580 23415 pescatarian 3 2071662 Chuck will become exceptionally tender with long and slow cooking; it needs time to slowly release its collagen. If you get a chuck roast and trim and cut it up yourself, you can control how much fat you leave in the dish. (Btw, rather than discarding, you can render that cut-off fat on the stove (add a tablespoon of water to get it going, and cover) and save the tallow for future use, like lard.) Tue Dec 05 16:31:01 -0800 2006 2071603 13819 Karl S 4 2071728 Thanks, that sounds great. I think I will use the chuck roast as you described. The lamb had a lot of fat on it and I think this dish needs a fatty meat. Tue Dec 05 16:50:30 -0800 2006 2071662 23415 pescatarian 5 2071738 What most Americans are unaccustomed to is the flavor of lamb fat. Tue Dec 05 16:53:20 -0800 2006 2071728 13819 Karl S 4 2071871 Yes yes...this is exactly what I do..I purchase a chuck roast and cut it up myself. Recently tried a 7 bone roast that I cut up (which is also from the chuck of the steer, I believe) and it was also very tender. Tue Dec 05 17:31:47 -0800 2006 2071662 11983 Val 5 2071918 That's the cream of the chuck roasts, indeed. I've never had it, but it's a mark of better cookbooks when it is identified and discussed. Tue Dec 05 17:42:23 -0800 2006 2071871 13819 Karl S 1 2071752 In this type of situation, I would take the opportunity to do a pot au feu or bollito misto. Something that takes care and patience to make, but is actually very easy. It's real family round the table food, too, and the kind of thing I like doing on special occasions. Tue Dec 05 16:57:25 -0800 2006 2071541 54834 Nikos 1 2073231 How about a Fish in pastry? There is a great recipe from Lydie Marshall that always comes out perfectly. It is gorgeous to boot! Filet wrapped in pastry shaped like a fish, and decorated. A cold poached whole small salmon, decorated for the occasion is always beautiful and delicious. Tue Dec 05 22:37:12 -0800 2006 2071541 10838 Fleur 1 2073240 Dungeness crab is in season. For the last few years, thats been a staple for my xmas eve dinner. Tue Dec 05 22:39:48 -0800 2006 2071541 48107 exbarkeep