Cooking meat the day before

[OkayScooby]

Could anyone advise please? I am thinking of doing the beef in the slow cooker on Christmas eve day, as I have a lot of guests coming for Christmas and only a single oven.
Will this be the best meat to reheat? I'm doing turkey, gammon and beef.

Please tell me the best way to reheat it, if you've done this and it's worked for you.
Thanks

I wouldn't do beef the day before. Gammon might fare better reheated since it is brined I'm salt which can be great for reyaining moisture?

I too have only one oven and I will be hosting 14 people. I am cooking goose and turkey. I will be cooking the goose on Christmas eve using Jamie oliver recipe for cook ahead goose. Lessons learnt from previous years- follow the jamie oliver seasoning but cook in less time using the Girdon ramsay recipe.

I will cook the turkey on the day. It does retain its heat for hours after roasting. For the pinch point is when it comes to digging up, carving, it takes forever and at that point things are cooling down. Make sure your gravy is hot.

Also, apparently in restaurants they reheat turkey with water in roasting tray to keep it moist

OK thanks. I'm probably best cooking the turkey the night before. I've just googled, and the roasting tray with water sounds like a plan. Aah, stress!

I would put the beef on that morning slow (I use a slow cooker) but agree the ham will be perfect pre cooked

I do this evey year. Roast the beef the night before then slice and put into the fridge. On christmas day cover in gravy and reheat in the oven. Lots of gravy, practically floating.

Seriously don't stress. I have hosted way more people with one oven. You will be fine. People eat when they eat!

I don't bother with starters. There is enough food as it is.

I find the prep is the thing that takes an age so I do as much of that as possible during the days in the lead up to Christmas day.

I have already diced my onions, bacon and apple all in freezer to throw straight into the pan for the shredded sprouts.

I made the stuffing today; in enamel dishes now in the freezer to put straight into oven on Christmas day after the turkey. These will go straight to the table from oven.

My BIL will make his lovely red cabbage and bring it with him on the day.

I will peel, parboil and coat the roast potatoes in goose fat/rosemary/garlic on Christmas eve. They will be on the oven trays once cooled I will put them in the fridge. They will come out on Christmas morning and sit on the side ready to go into oven after all the meats.

Carrots/parsnips - cut into chunks - in pot with orange juice/thyme/butter/red wine vinegar(jamie oliver recipe). This prep can be done the day before. On Christmas day, i just put them on the hob and let them do their thing Christmas day. I would have liked them honey roasted but trying to free up the oven so this will do. As the water in the pot boils off the orange caramelises.

I will prepare the bread and butter pudding on Christmas eve. I will have it in the fridge and then put it in the oven as we eat our Christmas main. The only task I have given my brother to do. The family will bring the other desserts and drinks.

Dh will do all the cleaning and tidying of the house ready to receive guests.

Always cook Beef, Turkey, Gammon the day before (Cut then put in fridge)
Personally never re heat for Christmas day
Hot gravy is fine for us
Done this for atleast 20 years

Cook the gammon the day before, cook the beef in the slow cooker from early morning on Christmas Day, and start the turkey cooking in the oven at the same time. That way the turkey and beef will still be warm without reheating. I think it’s acceptable to serve the gammon cold.

I can almost taste that !

Yes this is what my MiL does and she's a professional cook. Beef will heat up nicely in hot gravy if cooked the evening before and sliced and put into the fridge. A gammon ham if boiled and cooked the night before then put in the fridge overnight will just need honey drizzled on it then roasting for 40 minutes to make it hot on Xmas day. Cook turkey at least an hour before you want to cut and serve. Wrap it in foil then put a tea towel around it and leave it to rest. Then roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls etc can all go into the oven. Vegetables cook on hob rings.

I wouldn't do 3 types of meat in the first place! It's a bit much on top of all the trimmings!

I always cook the turkey the day before. Plates are heated, gravy is hot, it doesn't matter that the turkey is straight from the fridge!

I would think you could do the same with beef. Sliced thinly, on a warmed plate and with hot gravy, it would be perfectly fine.

Reheated turkey or chicken has a bad taste, looks grey, and is dry. I wouldn't do it.

Thanks everyone. I'm beginning to wonder if McDonald's is open on Christmas day!

Everyone will just have to manage with whatever they get, I think.
Thanks for replying.

I always cook the ham on Christmas Eve and the turkey Christmas Day. I don’t reheat it it’s fine with gravy and everything else hot

Ex h always used to put minging cold Turkey on the plate and assume the gravy and plate heated it.

It didn't.

It's horrid.

By all means cool the meat before hand but don't assume that means the meat will somehow be temperate with the rest of the food because it won't.

Always cooked the turkey the day before and once it's got hot gravy on it doesn't need reheating. A hot turkey sandwich before bed was my favourite thing about Xmas!

Our local one isn't 😂