OT: Christmas Dinner

[Darth_VadEER]

Anyone care to share what they are cooking for Christmas?

We are hosting Christmas Eve. I'm cooking my grandmother's ham loaf recipe (brown sugar glaze), but substituting with 1/3 ground maple pork I get from a local butcher. 3rd year I've made it, it is a hit. Just picked up 7 lbs of polish sausage (jokes welcomed) from a local market that makes it daily, same place my grandparents got it when they were my age and I grew up eating. My car smells incredible right now.....

Will serve with sweet potato mash, fresh roasted green beans and pineapple stuffing.

My mom is bringing an elderberry and a raspberry pie.

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Baked Steak and Gravy, Potatoes, fried apples, sweet rolls, & for desert whatever we can fit in our bellys.

Btw this is my kind of thread. No real wrong answers.

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

My son came down on Holiday Leave from N Carolina so I am going to deep fry a Turkey for Christmas.

My daughter in law is going to cook the rest of the food.
I told her we eat dressing and not stuffing.
She is from Maryland so she got a laugh out of it.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Baked Steak and Gravy, Potatoes, fried apples, sweet rolls, & for desert whatever we can fit in our bellys.

Btw this is my kind of thread. No real wrong answers.

That all sounds good....baked steak and gravy is something id like to make for myself. Is there a certain cut you get, any special preparation?

Fried apples and sweet rolls, thats a perfect holiday dish.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

My son came down on Holiday Leave from N Carolina so I am going to deep fry a Turkey for Christmas.

My daughter in law is going to cook the rest of the food.
I told her we eat dressing and not stuffing.
She is from Maryland so she got a laugh out of it.

Youve mentioned your son is in the service. Its nice he gets to visit. Ive never tried a deep fried turkey.

I just tossed out my old smoker (live in the snowbelt and it rusted) but I did a few smoked Turkey's that were great.

When my guests asked how long it took to smoke, I always said about 8 beers give or take.

 

[WVU_98_rivals]

Christmas Eve we will grill some venison backstraps from this year's catch. We will have an oven roasted turkey on Christmas day. Can't wait to eat those 2 days!

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

Youve mentioned your son is in the service. Its nice he gets to visit. Ive never tried a deep fried turkey.

I just tossed out my old smoker (live in the snowbelt and it rusted) but I did a few smoked Turkey's that were great.

When my guests asked how long it took to smoke, I always said about 8 beers give or take.

I use my smoker often in the winter.
Like throwing a ham in there.

My sons are stationed on the opposite ends of the country.
My youngest is not a career Marine so he will probably find something outside of the service.
The one visiting me will probably make a career out of it. Mainly because he is not enlisted like my youngest.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Christmas Eve we will grill some venison backstraps from this year's catch. We will have an oven roasted turkey on Christmas day. Can't wait to eat those 2 days!

Damn...thats a manly *** christmas dinner. Good for you.

I went out this year for the first time in 15 years. Just one day, no luck.

My grandparents did venison for christmas Eve when I was a kid. Its a perfect holiday meal.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

I use my smoker often in the winter.
Like throwing a ham in there.

My sons are stationed on the opposite ends of the country.
My youngest is not a career Marine so he will probably find something outside of the service.
The one visiting me will probably make a career out of it. Mainly because he is not enlisted like my youngest.

I live on the shores of Lake Erie....i can see Canada from my back porch. I dont grill until April. Snowflakes fall until almost may.

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

I live on the shores of Lake Erie....i can see Canada from my back porch. I dont grill until April. Snowflakes fall until almost may.

I bet. The lake effect snow especially in New York is crazy up there.

I don't use the grill as I much as I use to.

Actually where I grew up fish fries were the common social gathering in the summer.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

I bet. The lake effect snow especially in New York is crazy up there.

I don't use the grill as I much as I use to.

Actually where I grew up fish fries were the common social gathering in the summer.

Love the church fish fries....when Lent comes I have scheduled rounds.

The EYE-talian churches are the best. The Sister's can really cook a meal, but they are worse than gypsies....whatever cash you come with, stays there. Because the roof is always leaking and the parking lot needs repaved and those humble gals cant go without air conditioning.

Sisters of Mercy.....give me a break

Great Lentil dinners though. Getting a hankering for a fish sandwich.

 

[FallingRun84]

Christmas Eve seven seafood food feast. Shrimp, Eel, Calamari, Whitening, Salmon, Smelts and Baccala. And of course home made red.

Christmas day. Typical turkey dinner.

New Years Day. Kielbasa with black eyed peas

 

[skygusty_rivals]

We will have country ham and biscuits, some smoked turkey, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, stuffed dates, asparagus, some peel and eat shrimp, pecan pie, fudge, cookies, my latest batch of hard cider. We don't do a big sit down for Christmas, just lots of finger food to eat and snack on all day.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

We will have country ham and biscuits, some smoked turkey, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, stuffed dates, asparagus, some peel and eat shrimp, pecan pie, fudge, cookies, my latest batch of hard cider. We don't do a big sit down for Christmas, just lots of finger food to eat and snack on all day.

Sounds great....dont stuff your date too hard.

Haha

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

I've gained 5# just reading this thread.

Nah on 2nd thought, it was the dozen plus homemade cookies I've eat today.

Eating crappy is my reward for lifting at 4 AM 3 or 4 times a week.

Man this thread has some good meals in it.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Christmas Eve seven seafood food feast. Shrimp, Eel, Calamari, Whitening, Salmon, Smelts and Baccala. And of course home made red.

Christmas day. Typical turkey dinner.

New Years Day. Kielbasa with black eyed peas

Ahh, the feast of the seven fishes. My sister in law married an eye-talian and he likes to brag about it.

Never had the opportunity to sit down for the full meal.

 

[4WVU]

What is wrong with you people??? Not one mention of mince pie for desert??? Sigh...:smiley:

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Christmas morning breakfast dish....

Cast iron skillet.
Line bottom and edges ans sides of skillet with bacon and cook it up, drain greese.

Peel apples and mix with butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon...rub on apples.

Throw apples mixture on top of bacon in skillet and cook for a bit.

Make a basic pancake batter and pour over the top of bacon/apples. Cook in oven until firm.

Take skillet and flip it over.......everything comes out together....bacon, apples pancakes.

Top with syrup.

Made this 5 years now..

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Christmas morning breakfast dish....

Cast iron skillet.
Line bottom and edges ans sides of skillet with bacon and cook it up, drain greese.

Peel apples and mix with butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon...rub on apples.

Throw apples mixture on top of bacon in skillet and cook for a bit.

Make a basic pancake batter and pour over the top of bacon/apples. Cook in oven until firm.

Take skillet and flip it over.......everything comes out together....bacon, apples pancakes.

Top with syrup.

Made this 5 years now..

That's sounds good. Never tried it that way though.

I eat those ingredients about all the time. I just don't mix them together. I eat scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes, and apple sauce. The apple sauce is canned from the family orchard. My grand dad is in his 90s and stealing eating it too.

 

[eerdoc]

Baked Steak and Gravy, Potatoes, fried apples, sweet rolls, & for desert whatever we can fit in our bellys.

Btw this is my kind of thread. No real wrong answers.

Fried Apples--with or without skins? Not a silly question. Retaining the skins makes the apples taste much different after frying.

 

[Soaring Eagle 74]

Anyone care to share what they are cooking for Christmas?

We are hosting Christmas Eve. I'm cooking my grandmother's ham loaf recipe (brown sugar glaze), but substituting with 1/3 ground maple pork I get from a local butcher. 3rd year I've made it, it is a hit. Just picked up 7 lbs of polish sausage (jokes welcomed) from a local market that makes it daily, same place my grandparents got it when they were my age and I grew up eating. My car smells incredible right now.....

Will serve with sweet potato mash, fresh roasted green beans and pineapple stuffing.

My mom is bringing an elderberry and a raspberry pie.

My mother made the WORST ham loaf in the history of mankind.

We’re making Beef Bourguignon for Xmas day. I use white wine instead of red wine, as I think red wine overpowers the flavor of the beef. I’ll cook it very slowly so the beef is really tender.

Home made pasta and deep-fried shrimp, scallops, and oysters for Xmas eve.

 

[eerdoc]

What is wrong with you people??? Not one mention of mince pie for desert??? Sigh...:smiley:

Does the "mince' you use contain meat , or is it composed of of apples and raisins with some beef fat?

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Fried Apples--with or without skins? Not a silly question. Retaining the skins makes the apples taste much different after frying.

We get golden delicious and go with out the skins. They are good.

I think it's the combination of the baked steak and gravy (salt or spice side) combined with mashed potatoes (starch food but neutral) and then the fried apples (sweet) and the sweet rolls (obviously sweet). The meal is the real gift of the day. Glad my mom is still alive to cook it.

For desert it's whatever you can still eat.

 

[eerdoc]

We get golden delicious and go with out the skins. They are good.

I think it's the combination of the baked steak and gravy (salt or spice side) combined with mashed potatoes (starch food but neutral) and then the fried apples (sweet) and the sweet rolls (obviously sweet). The meal is the real gift of the day. Glad my mom is still alive to cook it.

For desert it's whatever you can still eat.

I suggest you try Fuji, or York, or one of the several wonderful sweet/tart apples fried slowly in butter until they turn to a medium brown. Add nothing to them except, maybe, a pinch or so of salt to accentuate the sweetness, Not as sweet and dessert like as those that are peeled and fried with added sugar (Cracker Barrel style).

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

We have an orchard and imo the best apples for frying are the lodis or the June apples (red or yellow). They don't last into this time of the year though. After that it's grimes golden which is a tough skinned and durable golden delicious (cousin apple). Arkansas black apples are decent for this time of year and they have a little tart to them.

Winesaps are juicy sweet with a little tart and what we can mostly can and/or make into apple sauce.

I'll try the fugis. May even graft a sprout on a limb.

 

[skygusty_rivals]

We have an orchard and imo the best apples for frying are the lodis or the June apples (red or yellow). They don't last into this time of the year though. After that it's grimes golden which is a tough skinned and durable golden delicious (cousin apple). Arkansas black apples are decent for this time of year and they have a little tart to them.

Winesaps are juicy sweet with a little tart and what we can mostly can and/or make into apple sauce.

I'll try the fugis. May even graft a sprout on a limb.

My mother used to fry apples from a tree in our back yard. I was never sure what variety it was. I have never fried any apple that came close to how that tasted fried, crispy and brown in butter, but recently the name Grimes Golden popped into my mind and I was thinking that might have been the variety but then I think they were a summer apple instead of a fall apple. Were those the ones we used to call Yellow Transparent?

 

[WVU_98_rivals]

This thread definitely makes me hungry!

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

My mother used to fry apples from a tree in our back yard. I was never sure what variety it was. I have never fried any apple that came close to how that tasted fried, crispy and brown in butter, but recently the name Grimes Golden popped into my mind and I was thinking that might have been the variety but then I think they were a summer apple instead of a fall apple. Were those the ones we used to call Yellow Transparent?

Grimes golden have a skin that is tough & rough almost like a very fine sand paper. They have a shelf life that is decent especially in a cool dark place.

The summer lodis have a smooth skin that if you don't pick them early, the skin will split on the tree. The lodis are a tart apple.

Both are awesome for frying.

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

I live on the shores of Lake Erie....i can see Canada from my back porch. I dont grill until April. Snowflakes fall until almost may.

Love lake Erie.

 

[lakeers]

Roast Beast....w/ramps

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

I suggest you try Fuji, or York, or one of the several wonderful sweet/tart apples fried slowly in butter until they turn to a medium brown. Add nothing to them except, maybe, a pinch or so of salt to accentuate the sweetness, Not as sweet and dessert like as those that are peeled and fried with added sugar (Cracker Barrel style).

Fuji are the best in my opinion. I like them fried in butter, salt and a sprinkle of sage and all spice.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

This thread is making me regret cutting down my apple tree.

It was huge and ugly. Not sure what type of apples. But theyd fall and if I hit them with my mower or they rotted on the tree I had swarms of yellow jackets. I got rid of it.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

My mother used to fry apples from a tree in our back yard. I was never sure what variety it was. I have never fried any apple that came close to how that tasted fried, crispy and brown in butter, but recently the name Grimes Golden popped into my mind and I was thinking that might have been the variety but then I think they were a summer apple instead of a fall apple. Were those the ones we used to call Yellow Transparent?

Use lots of butter and a cast iron skillet.

 

[SKYHAWKBALL]

best thread on the forum recently!

Sounds like everyone has some delicious recipes! Need to start posting pics as well to make us all jealous!

 

[Soaring Eagle 74]

Granny Smith are my favorite for frying. Lots of butter, cinnamon, a touch of maple syrup, a pinch of salt, served with homemade buttermilk biscuits.

 

[4WVU]

Does the "mince' you use contain meat , or is it composed of of apples and raisins with some beef fat?

The apples/raisins mince pie...I used to buy them over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season, but haven't been able to find them the past couple of years...Nobody wants them anymore, I guess...:frown:

 

[skygusty_rivals]

My mother used to make mince out of green tomatoes, apples, raisins and lots of spices. I loved it and haven't had it in about 40 years. I used to have her recipe but I think it got lost in all the moves.
Could probably find a close substitute online I guess.

 

[eerdoc]

My mother used to fry apples from a tree in our back yard. I was never sure what variety it was. I have never fried any apple that came close to how that tasted fried, crispy and brown in butter, but recently the name Grimes Golden popped into my mind and I was thinking that might have been the variety but then I think they were a summer apple instead of a fall apple. Were those the ones we used to call Yellow Transparent?

Both Grimes Golden an Golden Delicious originated in West Virginia. They are very old apples and are quite prominent in old, family orchards in WV. Yellow Transparent IS an early season apple but and is wonderful for apple sauce. Never tried frying it, but have doubts it would hold together under those conditions. It really cooks-up into very fine sauce.

 

[eerdoc]

The apples/raisins mince pie...I used to buy them over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season, but haven't been able to find them the past couple of years...Nobody wants them anymore, I guess...:frown:

I asked about the constituents because I grew up eating mince (meat) pie. As I understand it the idea of mince meat was brought here with very early settlers. It was full of raisins, apples, other available fruits, spices and a lot of scrap meats (venison, beef, and (we often used) the meat from a pig's head. Very dense, spicy and a meal in itself. Unfortunately we have exhausted out frozen (Or canned) supply and getting the meat for making more is much more difficult now. I am not hunting as I once did. Pigs heads are much harder to get from the chain groceries. Plus, it is a rather time consuming task to do the preparation, However, I really do miss that wonderful taste at the holidays.

 

[3xWVUenginEER]

Both Grimes Golden an Golden Delicious originated in West Virginia. They are very old apples and are quite prominent in old, family orchards in WV. Yellow Transparent IS an early season apple but and is wonderful for apple sauce. Never tried frying it, but have doubts it would hold together under those conditions. It really cooks-up into very fine sauce.

I learn something new everyday.