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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Beef for Xmas day?

125 replies

Fruitbatdancer · 22/12/2019 22:09

We always have beef for Xmas lunch. GranDad was a poultry and pig farmer, by time Xmas cake around he couldn’t bare sight of turkey/ capon/ chicken and pork. And had ‘swapped’ with several beef farmers. So had a fridge/ freezer if beef!
Having talked about it at work I was surprised how many people also don’t do turkey/ chicken.
So yanbu = we have something different too
YABU = get out of town you freak turkey all the way

Final drip feed- our beef comes with horseradish, Yorkshire pudding, pugs in blankets and sage and onion stuffing 😊

OP posts:
NewInTown08 · 24/12/2019 03:37

We are having a beef roast this year (with horseradish mayo ... Mmm) much better than turkey, and no leftovers usually ( hate turkey leftovers, usually have to throw a lot out)

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/12/2019 03:43

Not many have turkey also for xmas. If you look at the cooking magazines here they are all full of recipes for turkey for thanksgiving and then roast beef etc for Christmas.

Only because they're being poncey. IRL supermarkets across America are full of turkey right now.

MiniGuinness · 24/12/2019 04:00

We are having beef this year too. We had turkey for thanksgiving so don’t want that again. We frequently have lobster, but some guests have requested something a bit more traditional. I am actually looking forward to it.

pallisers · 24/12/2019 04:11

Only because they're being poncey. IRL supermarkets across America are full of turkey right now.

Poncey? Like seriously my friends and neighbors who don't cook turkey for christmas are being poncey? you must be joking - right?

there are loads of turkeys in the shops. loads of beef joints, pork crowns etc too. Beef and other joints are more to the fore now. Turkeys were at the forefront for thanksgiving. My very non-poncy neighbour (retired teacher who now drives funeral cars) came by today so we could exchange cake/box of chocolates with each other. They are having lobster for dinner tomorrow. Should I tell him he should be having turkey. I don't know anyone here who is having turkey on xmas day.

So to be told it is an american thing to have turkey for christmas ....

Saracen · 24/12/2019 04:23

77% non turkey! Woo hoo!

Hang on hang on. My "YANBU" vote doesn't make me non-turkey. I love turkey! I just think YOU should eat what you like but close the curtains if it's pizza.

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 24/12/2019 07:01

We're having a goose, amazing near and loads of leftovers!

Powerbunting · 24/12/2019 07:16

Trying cockerel this year. I was thinking goose, but friends put me off with tales of cleaning the sheer amount of fat off the oven.

Turkey can be lovely. Dry ones are cooked too long. Hot and fast is best for turkey - ideally spatchcocked so it is flatter and the legs get cooked before the breast dries out

BB8sAntenna · 24/12/2019 07:36

I don’t eat meat but DH would normally have beef, he’s got turkey this year as his parents are over.

elmosducks · 24/12/2019 07:37

I always cook a turkey, but I do the Jamie Oliver Best Christmas Turkey, along with his cranberry sauce and get ahead gravy. Delias yorkshires and parmesan parsnips,

Followed by vienetta.

DanielRicciardosSmile · 24/12/2019 07:40

We also have beef every year. Never been a fan of turkey.

Badabingbadabum · 24/12/2019 07:44

We have a forerib of beef. My mum is cooking pork shoulder and turkey to bring over. I'd much rather cook two really good chickens, the long cooking time of turkey just doesn't seem worth it. But dm thinks turkey = christmas so that's what I am going with.

MissConductUS · 24/12/2019 17:04

Only because they're being poncey. IRL supermarkets across America are full of turkey right now.

For the record, as an American I had to google "poncey" to find out what it was, as I stated up thread that we have roast prime rib of beef for Christmas and that turkey is for Thanksgiving.

Foodtown, Stop and Shop, Wegman's and BJ's (my regular supermarkets here in New York) are absolutely not full of turkeys in the run up to Christmas. Yes, they will have some, but most tables tomorrow here will have spiral cut ham (gammon to you lot), beef roast or some other meat as the main course.

Pardon me while I go back to baking my poncey Christmas cookies. Grin

Glittertwins · 24/12/2019 17:10

Had turkey last year, prime beef rib before that and its goose tomorrow - we let the DTs choose. Wonder if they'll be as keen as to clean the new oven down after Wink

FairytaleofButlins · 24/12/2019 17:16

Seafood platter here, I love lobster and rarely eat it.

We eat a lot of turkey in this house, it doesn't feel very festive. Eat whatever you want!

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 24/12/2019 17:16

We are having stuffing balls and pigs in blankets tonight with garlic bread and other bits. Tomorrow will be slow cooked lamb with orzo and ratatouille. Never do turkey.

ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy · 24/12/2019 17:19

We always have something other than turkey. And on a day other than Christmas Day!

Christmas Day = all day buffet (in-laws come to us). The roast is usually Boxing Day (I cook at the in-laws' house). This year they're away, so I think we're just going to do our roast on Sunday and just eat fun food until that point!

cardibach · 24/12/2019 17:24

I’m not sure you can judge anything from your vote. I have turkey, it beef, but I don’t think you are a freak for having beef so haven’t voted...

Camomila · 24/12/2019 17:24

PILs have roast gammon, rice, and roast veg and I think potatoes.

When we do English Christmas we usually do a big chicken with potatoes, veg, etc. when we do Italian Christmas we usually do tortellini followed by meat, though we had a swordfish carpaccio one (poncey) year.

bridgetreilly · 24/12/2019 17:25

We're having pheasant this year. It varies.

The thing I REALLY don't understand is when people have two different roast meats for Christmas: beef and turkey, turkey and ham, or whatever. That seems absolutely bonkers to me, not least because of the huge amount of oven space it must take up as well as the mountains of leftovers. Just pick one!!

crankysaurus · 24/12/2019 17:29

We're having beef too but the DC have been trained to answer turkey to FIL as the idea of anything but is surprisingly stressful for him.

DJA1511 · 24/12/2019 17:30

We had beef last year. we aren’t keen on turkey so beef went down a great. Dinner at in laws this year. She usually does beef and turkey!

foamrolling · 24/12/2019 17:35

We have lamb. It's an expensive meat so we don't have it often and it feels like a treat. It's also easier to cook than turkey I find - or at least harder to mess up. Turkey can be quite dry and bland unless you faff around with it. The lamb recipe I use is easy peasy, a nice spice rub and a low oven for a few hours and it turns out beautifully.

Sexnotgender · 24/12/2019 17:36

Fillet of beef here too. With roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and lots of mustard.

Twospaniels · 24/12/2019 17:39

We’re having beef wellington this year. Often have a goose for a change though

WakeyShakey · 24/12/2019 17:43

We always have beef. Can't stand turkey.
Pugs in blankets I've never tried though. Do they sell them in Morrisons or am I better trying Waitrose? 😁