Once again, my daughter selects and cooks the menu and always has a place at the table for her Dad. I just bring the
Life is good. 🥰
Life is good. 🥰
-
-
That is what it would be “if my wife was bringing”, that and a big bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, -
Richard Chrz I haven't had a cup of 'Bailey's Coffee' in decades. But I do remember how warm and cozy it made me feel. 🥰
-
-
Wifes gonna kill me, but I got an 18lb+ steamship green Cheshire ham which I will start curing tomorrow. Just gonna be 4 of us... but I went all out for random people on turkey day I gotta go all out for my mom... Leftovers will be portioned into a few different groups of sandwich, breakfast, and soup uses. And likely half the thing will still end up work feeding any of my uniformed co-workers that aren't going home or doing anything for Christmas.
I'll also be making scalloped taters and a bag of frozen green beans 'cause we fancy.Comment
-
ecowper I'm a little worried considering I'll be pushing it on time but we didn't have plans until Sunday and then of course all the boutique places are sold out of what I wanted so why not go overkill and feed some troops
-
Beef stew. We do it every year.Comment
-
Last night we discussed Xmas Day, as it looks like we’ll be hosting 16 just as we did for Thanksgiving. The vote last night (with 6 of 8 adults and 2 of 3 kids old enough to “vote”) came in as…
WINGS! Just a truckload of wings that everyone can add their own sauce to. Everyone wants to keep it simple with food and focus on family fun!
I guess the main question now is…oven roast or deep fry? I was able to talk my wife into the big steam table for Thanksgiving, but I don’t think I’ll be able to talk her into a large batch deep fryer.
Whats the consensus on using a 36” Blackstone with multiple pans full of oil to deep fry?!?
Comment
-
This is an intriguing way to fry wings. I've done it in a dutch oven on the kettle before, but would not have thought of the griddle and shallow pans.
If I am doing LOTS of wings I usually direct grill them. It's one of the few things where I think a set of Grillgrates for the grill helps a lot, to get the chicken cooked nice and crisp but without burning up.
-
Christmas Eve: prime rib, potato gratin, creamed spinach. Undecided on the wines. Mrs will make an Apple pie and I’ll make an ice cream - thinking maybe a salted crème fraiche. Undecided
Christmas Day: Duck confit, potato pave (1000 layer potatoes), arugula persimmon and pomegranate salad. TBD on wine. Dessert I’m thinking vanilla pot de crème w dulce de leche and chocolate. We’ll see.
Boxing Day: visiting nephew and new baby. May have to bring something. Not sure.Comment
-
Nailed down the wine today. Muscardini Cab for the prime rib, Red burgundy for the duck. White burgundy for those silly people who “don’t like red”.
Comment
-
JCBBQ
and
I also have done a strawberry base with strawberry-balsamic swirl. That was a mash up of a few recipes.Comment
-
Not Christmas but Hanukkah. It's Saturday as one of my grandsons was in Arizona for a soccer tournament. Traditional from my wife's view. Brisket and all the fixin's. Thursday is going to be great weather day. Sun, 50° and no wind. So I'm adding to the menu. Two racks of St Louis Ribs on the Pit Barrel. My wife shook her head. But my grandsons and S.I.L. will scoff them up as I will. Happy Hanukkah 🕎 to all who celebrate. I'm not religious but believe in tradition. Maybe I'm stretching it with the ribs.
Update: I decided, with help to forego the ribs. Sticking with our traditional meal. Maybe for New Years.
Last edited by RichieB; December 17, 2025, 12:39 PM.Comment
-
Kiddos won’t lock in on when they’ll be here, so fried peanut butter and bologna with generic potato chips I guess. Or the old standby of ordering Famous Dave’s and reheating it on the MAK.
Funny thing is, if they commit, they know prime ribs is likely and they devour it before I barely get set down to eat mine.Comment
-
We've changed course. I have a 4-bone prime rib that was on 50%-off blowout last month, so we're going to make that for Xmas and have the porterhouse I mentioned above for our New Year's meal. The roast is Harris Teeter's "Rancher Select" grade, which I believe is USDA Choice (judging by that label on other cuts - this package does not list a grade). Whatever, it as the same price by weight as 80/20 ground beef, so I just bought it when I saw it...Comment
-
I am so lucky that i have to work 23-25/12 so my christmas is postponed to the 26th of december.. Just got 7,4kg/16,3lbs porkbelly into the house..
Christmas Dinner Menu:
Main Course
Traditional Norwegian roasted pork belly (ribbe)
served with- Norwegian pork meatballs (medisterkaker)
- Christmas sausages
- Pork gravy/Christmas sauce
- Rendered pork fat
- Sauerkraut
Accompanied by Norwegian almond potatoes.
Beverages
Christmas beer and traditional Norwegian Christmas aquavit
Other beverages available upon request
Dessert
Traditional Norwegian rice cream (riskrem)
served with red berry sauce
Comment
-
Special for you Donw and ofcourse all of you at the AR!
Norwegian-Style Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling- Using a sharp knife, score the skin (rind) and cut slightly into the fat, but not into the meat. Score in lines parallel to the ribs to make carving easier later. Rub the pork belly generously with salt and pepper, making sure to work the seasoning well down into the cuts in the skin. Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate for 2–3 days.
- Place the pork belly in a roasting pan with the skin side up. Set a small oven-safe plate upside down under the center of the pork so it’s slightly higher in the middle, this helps the rendered fat run off. Make sure both sides are about the same height for even cooking. You can also use a ball of aluminum foil for support. Add about 1–2 cups of water to the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, making sure the foil doesn’t touch the pork and that the pan is well sealed for steaming.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the pan on the middle rack and steam for 45–60 minutes, until the pork puffs up and the skin starts to open.
- Remove the foil and reduce the oven temperature to 390°F. Return the pork to the middle rack and roast for about 1 to 1½ hours, adding a little more water to the pan if needed. The cooking time is roughly the same regardless of size, since pork bellies are usually similar in thickness. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
For extra crispy crackling:
If the skin isn’t crispy enough at the end, move the pan to a higher rack and increase the oven to 480–500°F, or switch to the broil setting. Watch very carefully — it can burn fast. If some areas crisp before others, cover those spots loosely with foil to prevent burning.
Serving Suggestions for Norwegian-Style Roast Pork Belly (Ribbe)
Serve the crispy pork belly family-style on a large platter, with the crackling facing up. Pair it with a mix of classic Norwegian sides and familiar American favorites:
Traditional-inspired sides:- Braised red cabbage (sweet and tangy, similar to German-style red cabbage)
- Boiled or roasted potatoes
- Pork gravy made from the pan drippings, i prefer to use rendered fat instead of gravy..
- Lingonberry sauce or cranberry sauce as a substitute
American-friendly sides:- Mashed potatoes with butter and cream
- Roasted root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes)
- Green beans sautéed with garlic and almonds
- Dinner rolls or crusty bread to soak up the gravy
Optional extras:- Apple sauce or a lightly spiced apple compote pairs beautifully with the rich pork
- Mustard (whole grain or Dijon) for a bit of bite
To serve:
Slice the pork belly into portions, making sure each piece has a bit of crispy crackling. Spoon warm gravy over the meat, and let guests add sides to taste.
Drink pairings:- Beer: a crisp lager or amber ale, bock beer
- Wine: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or a dry Riesling
- Non-alcoholic: sparkling apple cider or lingonade
- Snaps: Aquavite
This makes a hearty holiday-style meal, perfect for Christmas or a special Sunday dinner.
Hope you find this useful Ladies & Gents
Comment
-
So I made tacos for the office today. A few lbs of skirt marinated for 4 hours in orange juice, worstershire, onions amd garlic.
I fought insane winds to get the chimney going (took me 30 minutes before I was successful).
Then I warmed up a mix of flour and corn tortillas. I really wanted to slice the meat thinner but my knife at work (a great secret Santa gift the other year) is in dire need of a sharpening session (I already have a better honing rod on order for home and will take the house one to work)
Then we feasted in between customers who decided to come after we were supposed to be in our by appointment only part of our day
The GIs split weeks this time of year so I wont see the crew together until after the new year, so we did Christmas today.
Comment
-
Spiral cut ham with a chipotle raspberry glaze.
Buttermilk biscuits
Potato Salad
Lima Bean
Orange salad (hard to explain)
Cheesecake with strawberries
Sausage balls
Cheese
Loads of wine
Summer SausageComment
-
Well, my menu changed up here, despite missing half the family for our Christmas Eve celebration this afternoon.
I've got 2 racks of baby backs that I sliced up into individual bones, Blasphemy Ribs style (thanks mgaretz for saving me some cooking time!), and seasoned with Meat Church They Holy Gospel rub. And I have 10-12 pounds of fresh chicken wings that I seasoned with The Chick Magnet from Deny Mikes.
I'll be firing up the SNS Kamado for the ribs in about an hour, to give them 2-3 hours to cook using the blasphemy method. And I'm on the fence between two batches of wings on the Performer+Vortex, or just a single pass of wings on the Genesis 4 burner with the Grillgrates, on med-low direct heat. The kettle just can't hold 10+ pounds of wings, Vortex or no Vortex. Maybe I just fit what I fit, and freeze the rest for a cook another day...
I also mixed up a copy cat recipe of the creamy jalapeño dip from Chuy's, to serve with tortillas while the kids wait on the food from the grill, assuming any get here early. Yvonne prepared a veggie tray, and I am thawing a pecan pie, and ready to open wine and champaign or beer as needed. The kids will bring what they want...
EDIT: Making a loaf/boule of no-knead sourdough bread courtesy of Richard Chrz and Fairchild Kitchen's, and their world famous sourdough starter. Just started the bake in a dutch oven.
Final results, as seen in SUWYC:
Last edited by jfmorris; December 25, 2025, 06:41 AM.Comment
Comment