Heavenly Christmas Roasts You’ve Got to Try!

Christmas is only a few weeks away (can you believe it!) Have you planned your menu for Christmas dinner yet? What holiday meal would be complete without a sumptuous, flavorful & juicy Certified Angus Beef Pork or Lamb roast as its centerpiece!

Whether you like it rosemary maple-mustard-glazed, bacon brown sugar-rubbed, sage-crusted or Egyptian-spiced, we have a Christmas roast recipe to knock your holiday socks off. Check out our ultimate list of deliciousness here:

Rosemary Maple Mustard Pork Roast

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

2-2.5 lb. pork loin roast
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat small roasting pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place roast onto prepared pan and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2) In a small bowl, stir dijon mustard together with maple syrup, rosemary and more salt and pepper. Rub half of this mixture onto the meat. Bake for 1-1 1/2 hours or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees. Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce.

Source

Bacon Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular can be substituted)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 to 6 slices good-quality bacon
1 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral high-heat oil)
1/4 cup Major Grey’s Chutney (See Recipe Note)
2 tablespoons whole grain or Dijon mustard

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the silverskin (the silvery-white connective tissue running along the top) from the pork tenderloin with a sharp knife. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels and set aside.

2) Combine the brown sugar, salt, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub all of the mixture into the pork tenderloin. Wrap the tenderloin with the strips of bacon, securing along the sides with toothpicks.

3) Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet, or other oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the bacon-wrapped tenderloin and sear — do not disturb it while it’s searing — until deep caramel brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the tenderloin and continue searing until the other side is browned.

4) Mix the chutney and mustard in a small bowl and brush generously over the top of the tenderloin. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the tenderloin until a probe thermometer reads 140°F, approximately 10 to 14 minutes.

5) Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the tenderloin to finish cooking and for the juices to redistribute into the meat. Remove toothpicks and slice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces for serving. Serve with any leftover chutney on the side.

Source

Egyptian Spiced Leg of Lamb Roast

Serves 6

Ingredients
One bone-in 2kg leg of lamb
2 onions, finely grated
2 carrots, finely grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. mastic*, crushed into a powder (mesteka in Arabic)
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 tsp. mixed spice
1 tsp. crushed pepper flakes (optional)
1 ½ tsp. salt

Directions

1) In a large roasting tin or a cast iron pot, place the lamb. Add all the other ingredients and take a couple of minutes to rub them all over the lamb leg. Cover the pot (or use foil/plastic if you are using a roasting pan) and let it rest to marinate in the fridge overnight. This step is crucial.

2) The next day, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Remove the lamb from the fridge and place it into the oven. Cook for 3 hours, covered.

3) After 3 hours, remove the lid or the foil, and roast for another 2-3 hours. During this part of cooking, you will need to check on the lamb every half hour or so. Using a large spoon, scoop up some of the sauce over the lamb to baste it a couple of times. If the pan is getting too dry, add some hot water, about a half a cup at a time. You will notice the crust of the lamb will be getting darker and darker; this is good! Don’t freak out. Just make sure there is enough liquid in the pan so that nothing burns.

4) The lamb is ready when it becomes fork-tender, and you can easily shred it off the bone. I find this happens in about 6 hours total of cooking time.
5) Take the lamb out of the oven, and using a spoon, skim as much fat as possible off the gravy. Serve with vermicelli, rice, or roast potatoes.

Notes

Mastic is a natural resin from the Mastic tree, also known as ‘Arabic Gum’, and is used in Arabic and Greek cooking. Look for it in health stores or specialty Middle Eastern or Greek shops. If you can’t find it at all, just omit it.

If you are using a larger leg of lamb, just increase the amounts of all the the rest of the ingredients accordingly. The cooking time will remain more or less the same.

If you cannot find ‘mixed spice” at your supermarket, just replace it with: 1tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg and ½ tsp ground allspice & ½ tsp ground cloves.

Source

 

Sage Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (8 pound) bone-in standing rib roast*
salt + pepper, for sprinkling
2 large bunch fresh sage
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken or beef broth
Pink Peppercorn Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pink or black peppercorns
6 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
salt, to taste
Salt Roasted Beets
8 beets of somewhat equal shape
kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, season the beef generously with salt + pepper, then sear the beef in the hot skillet on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the skillet and place on a cutting board.

3) Rub the sage with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place the sage on the beef roast and secure with kitchen twine.

4) Add the onion and red wine to a roasting pan. Place the beef on top of the onion, cover with foil. Place in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and continue roasting for another 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Occasionally, throughout the cooking time, spoon some of the juices over the meat. If the liquid level in the pan goes down too much, add the remaining 1 cup of broth.

5) During the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the foil and allow the sage to get a little crispy. Check the temperature of the meat by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the roast. For medium-rare it should be 125 degrees F. and 130 degrees for medium. Remove the roast from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

6) Meanwhile, make the gorgonzola sauce. Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is soft, caramelized and fragrant. Add the wine and cook until reduced by 1/3, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and gorgonzola, cook until melted and smooth. Add the pink peppercorns and season with salt to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

7) Remove the kitchen twine from the beef, slice and serve with the gorgonzola sauce + beets (recipe below). Happy Holiday eating!

8) Salt Roasted Beets

9) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

10) Add salt to the bottom of a roasting pan so that the bottom of the pan is fully covered in salt. Snuggle the beets into the salt. Roast for 45-55 minutes, rotating the beets twice, until the beets are soft. The cooking time will depend on the size of your beets.

11) Remove the beets from the salt, brushing any excess salt off. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and slice into bite size pieces. Serve along side the steak.

Source

Cranberry Pot Roast

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 (4-5 pound) chuck roast
salt + pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, quartered
6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces baby potatoes (optional, I would omit if serving with mashed potatoes)
1 cup red wine (or another cup beef broth)
2-3 cups low-sodium beef broth
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons honey
[mashed potatoes | http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pot-45-minute-coq-au-vin-brown-butter-sage-mashed-potatoes/] or wide egg noodles, for serving

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

2) Season the chuck roast liberally with salt + pepper all over.

3) Heat a large dutch oven, over high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes (if using) and cook, stirring once or twice until the veggies are just slightly browned on the edges, about 5 minutes. Do not leave the veggies in there too long, you don’t want them to become soft. Remove the veggies to a plate.

4) Add another drizzle of oil and once hot, add the chuck roast and sear all over, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chuck roast from the pan.

5) Carefully pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom. Remove from the heat.

6) Add the meat back to the pan and cover with 2-3 cups of beef broth, the worcestershire sauce and the balsamic. Throw in the mushrooms + browned veggies, thyme, rosemary, cranberries + honey. If the liquid is not covering the meat at least half way, add more until it is.

7) Cover the pan and place in the oven. Roast for 3-4 hours or until the roast is cooked to your liking. Serve over mashed potatoes or eggs noodles.

Source

 Apple Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
8 fresh sage leaves
2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes, crusts removed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterflied

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2) In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

3) Add the onion, apples and sage. Saute until softened. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, butter and salt and pepper.

4) Add the chicken broth gradually until everything is moistened. Let the stuffing mixture cool completely before putting it in the pork loin.

5) Spoon the stuffing down the pork, horizontally, in a line. Roll the pork over the stuffing, jelly roll style, ending with the seam down and fat side up.

6) Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern, with a sharp knife.

7) Tightly tie the pork roast up with butcher’s twine, season it with more salt and pepper, and transfer to a roasting pan.

8) Roast the pork in a preheated oven for about 90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.

Source

Shawarma Spiced Braised Leg of Lamb

Serves 8

Ingredients

Rub 1  6-pound bone-in leg of lamb, shank attached, frenched
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 Thai chiles, very finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Assembly

½ teaspoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt

Directions

Rub

Trim excess fat from lamb and remove any membrane. Lightly score flesh with a knife and pat dry with paper towels. Season lamb very generously with salt and pepper; place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Grind cumin, caraway, and coriander seeds in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle to a powder. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in chiles, garlic, oil, paprika, and cinnamon; rub all over lamb. Chill uncovered on wire rack 12–24 hours.

Assembly

1) Let lamb sit to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

2) Preheat oven to 450°. Roast lamb until well browned all over, 20–25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 250°.

3) Meanwhile, grind caraway and coriander seeds in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle to a powder.

4) Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium (if lamb doesn’t fit in the pot you have, set a roasting pan over two burners instead). Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and ground seeds and stir to coat onion. Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth and bring liquid to a simmer; season lightly with salt.

5) Carefully place lamb in pot and add just enough water to cover if it is not submerged. Cover pot and braise lamb in oven until meat is very tender and bone wiggles easily in the joint, 4½–5½ hours. (If using a roasting pan, add water as needed so liquid comes halfway up side of leg, cover with foil, and turn lamb once during braising.) Transfer lamb to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.

6) Increase heat to medium-high and bring braising liquid to a boil; cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until reduced by half, 25–30 minutes. Taste sauce and season with salt if needed. Spoon over lamb. Serve with Herb Salad alongside.

Do Ahead: Lamb can be braised 2 days ahead. Keep in braising liquid; cover and chill. Reheat, covered, over medium-low until liquid is simmering and meat is warmed through.

Source

 Chuck Roast with Balsamic & Dijon

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 pounds Chuck Roast
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 bunches small carrots, with tops (cut off tops leaving a small stub)
1 pound very small baby potatoes, white or red
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 300F.
2) Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Season chuck roast well with salt and pepper, add to pan and brown well on all sides (a few minutes a side). Remove roast and set aside.
3) Add chopped onion to drippings in pot and reduce heat to medium. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, increase heat to medium-high and boil until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 4-5 more minutes. Stir in Dijon.
4) Set roast on top of onions in pot. Pour in 2 cups beef broth and add thyme sprigs. Cover and place in oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until very tender.
5) Add carrots and potatoes to pot and return to oven. Continue cooking until carrots and potatoes are tender, 30-60 minutes more. Season well then serve and enjoy!

What are some of your favorite Christmas roast recipes we can add to our list?

Tell us about them here!!

START TODAY
and
Claim a FREE Week of Food!
Get Started Today!
Claim your Free Week of Food!