Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH complaining about my Christmas Dinner

342 replies

TuffasOldBoots · 26/12/2024 05:12

Primarily the beef! Which wasn’t good - tough as old boots he said. Reminded him of a shoe etc.

DH worked Christmas Day, home at 2. We have small children and I spend the morning/afternoon running between the kitchen and the living room cooking/playing with the kids/opening presents/building toys and cleaning and cooking a big Christmas dinner.

Main was a huge turkey crown which was beautiful, everyone enjoyed it. All fresh veg, homemade cauliflower cheese, Yorkshires, all the trimmings etc. Beef was an extra (small joint) but not the main event. Texted DH in the morning-help! I’ve never cooked beef before (I eat mostly a vegetarian diet) how long does he want me to cook it for? Just guess! Was his reply!

Served up the dinner and he moaned and moaned about how the beef was like an old boot and he could barely cut through it.

It was very tough-told him to leave it and just eat the turkey.

To make it worse - his family came over in the evening and they asked how our dinner was and all he could mention was the beef being like old boots and our kids laughed along. His Mum then offered to teach me how to cook beef. Grr! He also commented on how much I had spent on the turkey this year-it was expensive but I was alone with the children and had to wait for DH to be home so I could shop for it, not much left and spend a lot more than usual.

Felt like I was in the kitchen for several hours prepping, cooking and cleaning. I was exhausted when he came home. AIBU? I was v.embarrassed when he mentioned it in front of his family and it sounded like the whole of my dinner was shit when it was only one of many other dishes.

OP posts:
Blanketssese · 29/12/2024 18:48

You are indeed married to scum.
I have made a few doozies in my day.
Nothing but appreciation for my efforts.

Only nasty abusive arseholes behave like this.
This behaviour is NEVER in isolation, its always part of a pattern of shite behaviou.
Good men would never dream of behaving like this.
Wake up OP.
You deserve better.

Bluebellsparklypant · 29/12/2024 19:43

Op I feel for you, it’s hard when you put all the work in only for someone to moan about it.

I know it’s nice to have all the home made foods but what is also nice is to spend the time with your kids and relax a bit with oven ready foods, which was my option this year. Sometimes a ‘lazy’ Christmas is what you need.

JessicaRabbit6 · 29/12/2024 21:37

TuffasOldBoots · 26/12/2024 05:12

Primarily the beef! Which wasn’t good - tough as old boots he said. Reminded him of a shoe etc.

DH worked Christmas Day, home at 2. We have small children and I spend the morning/afternoon running between the kitchen and the living room cooking/playing with the kids/opening presents/building toys and cleaning and cooking a big Christmas dinner.

Main was a huge turkey crown which was beautiful, everyone enjoyed it. All fresh veg, homemade cauliflower cheese, Yorkshires, all the trimmings etc. Beef was an extra (small joint) but not the main event. Texted DH in the morning-help! I’ve never cooked beef before (I eat mostly a vegetarian diet) how long does he want me to cook it for? Just guess! Was his reply!

Served up the dinner and he moaned and moaned about how the beef was like an old boot and he could barely cut through it.

It was very tough-told him to leave it and just eat the turkey.

To make it worse - his family came over in the evening and they asked how our dinner was and all he could mention was the beef being like old boots and our kids laughed along. His Mum then offered to teach me how to cook beef. Grr! He also commented on how much I had spent on the turkey this year-it was expensive but I was alone with the children and had to wait for DH to be home so I could shop for it, not much left and spend a lot more than usual.

Felt like I was in the kitchen for several hours prepping, cooking and cleaning. I was exhausted when he came home. AIBU? I was v.embarrassed when he mentioned it in front of his family and it sounded like the whole of my dinner was shit when it was only one of many other dishes.

What a c*

Summerlovin24 · 29/12/2024 21:40

Yanbu
What a git. I wouldn't dream of saying this if someone had cooked me dinner.
Arrange a day in Jan when you are with girlfriends all day. Ensure he is doing all the childcare plus cooking.
Don't cook xmas dinner next year. Tell him he is doing it as he complained.
Sit and play with kids and enjoy them
Selfish git

Teenagehorrorbag · 29/12/2024 21:50

God - he sounds a total shit!! My DH is bad about complaining about food but this really takes the biscuit. Apart from anything else - if it was just you, him and DCs you didn't need beef as well as turkey.....

But I agree about googling timings! Depending how you like your joint, and sometimes the shape - the recommendations can vary so much!! I'm attaching the instructions that came with my oven - which were shite. All the biro additions are from me googling things, and you'll see there are loads of variations. I still never know which to use!

Your DH has no idea about the hours you put in - but that's still no excuse for being a rude ignorant git!

Could you suggest he cook next year? (Wouldn't work here as we just wouldn't eat....)

DH complaining about my Christmas Dinner
Mh67 · 29/12/2024 22:36

My hubby moans every year about us going out to eat and I reply every year no problem you can buy cook and do dishes for a full 3 course meal. He soon changes his mind

Pherian · 30/12/2024 01:37

Really sorry about your husbands reaction to your beef joint. Beef is a pain to cook and even more of a pain if you don’t know how people want it cooked.

First things first : bring beef out of the fridge an hour before cooking to come to room temp.

once it’s sat out, take all the netting off. Season as you like. I just do salt and paper.

tie it again to hold its shape with butchers twine. Not really tightly - just enough so the meat is firmly together.

Heat a heavy bottom skillet. Once it’s hot seal the meat for 3 minutes per side.

Move it from the pan to your roasting dish. In the roasting dish have some rosemary, shallots, shopped carrots, a pour of red wine and some full fat unsalted butter. Place the meat on top.

(you want enough liquid to make some steam but not so much the meat is sitting in liquid it should be atop in shallots and carrots.)

Oven should be at 180/ 160 Fan / gas mark 4 - preheated.

Cook for 20 minutes then add:

20 min per 500g for rare
25 min per 500g for medium
30 min per 500g for well done

Remove from the oven. Let it rest. No poking, no cutting. Nothing. Until you’re ready to serve.

I don’t know how to fix your husband. He sounds like a twat.

DarkForces · 30/12/2024 06:28

@Pherian why on earth would she be chopping shallots and worrying about juices for a twat when she doesn't eat beef? She doesn't need to turn into Delia Smith, just cook something she'll enjoy eating instead.

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 30/12/2024 10:10

You are not going to earn his appreciation by doing more for him or getting more of it right. You will better earn his appreciation by doing less for him so he feels the lack.

Poppinjay · 30/12/2024 10:23

@Pherian the OP doesn't need someone to teach her how to cook beef. She needs the confidence to tell this twat that, if he wants beef on Christmas Day, he can bloody well cook it himself.

DiscoBeat · 30/12/2024 10:28

The cut was probably more suited to a slow roast but the shops often advertise them as roasting joints anyway so I'm sure it wasn't your fault. What did he do? Sweet FA!
I find it better to go to the butcher and let them know what I want to do with it and they're really helpful about the type of cut.

ImGoneUnderground · 30/12/2024 23:14

And he cooked....??? what????

ImGoneUnderground · 30/12/2024 23:16

Give him Nando's phone number....

Pherian · 07/01/2025 11:30

DarkForces · 30/12/2024 06:28

@Pherian why on earth would she be chopping shallots and worrying about juices for a twat when she doesn't eat beef? She doesn't need to turn into Delia Smith, just cook something she'll enjoy eating instead.

Well just because she doesn't eat beef, doesn't mean that at some point she might meet someone worthy of being served a nice roast beef dinner and now she knows.

I didn't eat roast beef for a long time because I didn't know how to cook it properly.

Ilikeadrink14 · 24/03/2025 15:13

DarkForces · 26/12/2024 05:25

I wouldn't be lifting a finger next year to cater for the ungrateful swine. Cook the food you enjoy and leave the meat on the shelf.

Exactly this! Ungrateful so and so! I would have choked him with it!

Challenger2A7 · 21/04/2025 00:59

Why do so many men want to belittle and put down a woman if she has done something well? It's a way of saying "Huh, don't start thinking you're anything special just because you've cooked a good dinner for 12 people. You're still nothing." Any man that does that to his wife/partner should have his arse kicked, then and there, in front of the assembled guests. Smash his head with the turkey crown, then, while he's still stunned, shove the cranberry sauce where the sun don't shine.

NotSafeInTaxis · 21/04/2025 01:36

Challenger2A7 · 21/04/2025 00:59

Why do so many men want to belittle and put down a woman if she has done something well? It's a way of saying "Huh, don't start thinking you're anything special just because you've cooked a good dinner for 12 people. You're still nothing." Any man that does that to his wife/partner should have his arse kicked, then and there, in front of the assembled guests. Smash his head with the turkey crown, then, while he's still stunned, shove the cranberry sauce where the sun don't shine.

It's Easter, why are you digging up Christmas threads?
It's jesus that's meant to rise from the dead, not OPs tough beef!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page