Mighty meats for a merry season...

It can be a challenge to prevent yourself from eating large consumptions this time of year.  It's okay - it's Christmas...

The season is an opportunity to put that diet aside and indulge in the various flavours that knit it all together. The Christmas dinner is always a symbolic moment; it's where the crackers are pulled,  the discussions take place and most importantly, the feast begins. For some the dinner consists of the traditional turkey accompanied with stuffing, roast potatoes and more. For many others - a seasonal roast is all about the mighty meaty options. 

A choice of three main meats continue to be a warm welcome at my household: traditional roast turkey, mouth-watering beef and gorgeous gammon. It's important not to forget the added extra of pigs wrapped in blankets. 

Traditional roast turkey: 

Turkey is an enjoyable meat to roast as the taste is so basic, waiting to be spiced up by the cook. Not only does it come at a good price - it is practical to flavour. Goose fat, sage and onion butter, cider, saffron, orange or even lemon, there are multiple flavours to pick. Turkey is an interesting meet to prepare; for many of us it leads to stress, panic and some sort of break down, when in fact you should be enjoying yourself. It's okay, dinner wont be a disaster and remember you have other meats to fall back on.

Mouth watering beef: 

Jamie Oliver is a brilliant chef who can inspire you greatly when cooking beef. His recipes can be found online, or maybe you could buy the Christmas cook one of his books as an early present? With any meet, you can do pretty much anything. Although, rubbing horse radish over a beef joint  creates a beautiful layer of spice before the juices burst and overwhelm your taste buds. It is apparent that beef is best to cut half an hour after cooking. Allow it to rest, then cut thinly for a tender texture ready to be slapped on a plate. Never throw away the juices from the meat, use the juice to create a red wine gravy (or experiment with mulled wine if you really wish to be Christmasy). 

Gorgeous gammon: 

A popular meat that is great chilled on Boxing Day with warm crusty bread and butter is exquisite. How do you cook it?

Gammon is a salty meat, so ensure you don't add any more salt (unless you wish to have an explosion of bitterness). Boiling is a nice option to cook the meat; it's contrasting from the two previous roasted options. 

If you fancy trying something experimental with your gammon this year, boil it in full fat Coca Cola. It creates a caramelised coat of sweetness which really contributes to the flavour of the meat. 

Do you like your gammon to fall apart when it's cooked? If so, slightly over cook it. It will just shred to pieces which is enjoyable with other meats at dinner. Likewise, it can cause the gammon to have a dry flavour which may not be so pleasant for the Boxing Day bash.