Beef For Christmas

[taichiperson]

For a change I thought I'd have beef for Christmas dinner. Hubby is vegetarian so I hardly ever cook meat. I need something simple for the remaining 4 of us - our two sons, Mum and me. I have no idea what cut to get or how much - advice would be very much appreciated, thanks.

[237SJ]

I`d get a nice topside

[gingejbee]

If you're not used to choosing/cooking meat...I'm not sure that Christmas lunch is the time to start experimenting!

[Tilly2]

A leg of lamb might be easier, taichi.

It's hard to spoil a leg of lamb. Just season it with rosemary and garlic, bung it in the oven and leave it.

[woofgang]

i agree, topside. Get plenty as its delicious cold. If you have got a proper butcher go and order it and ask for “corner cut”....or if you have got a waitrose, then the butcher's counter might have it.

[taichiperson]

Yup Gingebee, hence the 'simple' ideas needed. I saw a lovely recipe that involved cutting it in a certain way and stuffing it with a mushroom mix that just looked way too complicated. I'll already be making nut parcels (in filo pastry) that we can all have. I just want something I can bung in the oven for a couple of hours or so. Ta Tilly, I had the impression lamb is not so easy. Basically I was fed up with poultry, though the 3 or 5 bird roasts are quite good.

[taichiperson]

And thanks SJ and Woofgang, that sounds ok. No Waitrose in the wilds of Cumbria! There are plenty of good butchers around though, and of course lamb is not hard to get up here ;)

[237SJ]

Lamb is easy (make sure it is British lamb) but so is beef. You won`t go wrong with a good topside

[anneasquith]

Decent supermarkets beef Wellington . just pop in the oven.

[Prudie]

I find topside, especially from the supermarket, is very often tough however you cook it.Tthe best cut of beef for flavour and tenderness if you roast it is rib IMO.

[237SJ]

Most meat from supermarkets is tough

[NoMercy]

I'm getting a chateaubriand and I'm doing a beef Wellington with yorkies for NYD.

[taichiperson]

How much might I need for four carnivores? I don't want too much left over as I'm not all that keen on handling meat, and hubby is pretty tolerant but don't want it hanging around for too long.

[EDDIE51]

Got my Christmas dinner yesterday 2Kg of hand carved top rump of beef,reduced from £9.89 to £1.25 just before closing time! It's in the freezer waiting for Christmas it will serve all 8 of us and no cooking.

[taichiperson]

Ta for the ideas - rib is out as one of the reasons for not getting poultry is I don't like greasy carcass or bones etc. I have fond memories of Beef Wellington from my childhood - and that I suppose would be the least messy option if it's ready made.

[Islay]

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=293588184

[zebo]

Waitrose have had an offer on topside recently, I bought one on Saturday and cooked it yesterday, it was delicious, so I've been and bought another for our Boxing Day party. It's on offer for a couple of more days I think.

[237SJ]

For 4 people I would say a topside that is about 8" or so. You don`t want it to be too small because it will dry out.

[taichiperson]

SJ is that inches or pounds?

[237SJ]

Inches. Cover it over with some lard on top of it and then remove the lid and let it roast so that it becomes a little bit crispy on the surface