There's more than prime rib when it comes to Christmas meat

Look, prime rib is impressive. There’s no denying it. That being said, prime rib is expensive, difficult to prepare and let’s be honest; relies heavily on au jus and horseradish for flavor. Instead of defaulting to prime rib for your Christmas meat this year why not try making a new tradition with some delicious locally raised grass finished beef from Acabonac Farms - maybe braised beef short ribs! We think these Christmas meat ideas will quickly become new holiday favorites!

Brisket

Brisket is no stranger to the holiday table, but its breakout into the mainstream is highly regional. Perhaps on of the best parts about brisket is that it’s perfectly suited to either the grill, smoker, or oven! Even better, brisket can be prepared a few days in advance and reheated when it’s time for dinner.

Everyone has their own favorite brisket recipe but the technique largely remains the same, with flavor flexes coming from what you cook the brisket with. For a great Christmas beef recipe we recommend this Braised Christmas Brisket with Dried Fruit via How We Live. The execution is super simple, and the addition of dried fruit makes this recipe unique for the holidays. When ordering Acabonac Farms grass fed brisket make sure to order enough for your crowd!

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Talk about non traditional! Short Ribs are not typically considered a holiday food, but these rich and delicious cuts of beef should be! Far more flavorful and with a better texture than prime rib, beef short ribs from Acabonac Farms are a perfect way to surprise your guests this holiday season. Beef short ribs instant pot recipes should be at the top of your list for recipe research!

To make your beef short ribs a holiday hit we suggest trying this recipe for Red Wine and Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs via Half-Baked Harvest. The cranberries in this recipe really reinforce the holiday feel of the short ribs, and their tart acidity cut through the buttery richness beef short ribs are known for.

Individual Beef Wellington

Not all Christmas meat ideas need to revolve around feeding a crowd. Sometimes holiday dinners are an intimate affair and a whole roast just isn’t appropriate. When it’s just the two of you, or a small gathering a little extra effort can go a long way towards making the evening special. In these instances our Christmas beef of choice is individual beef wellingtons made with Acabonc Farms grass finished filet mignon.  Instead of using a whole beef tenderloin, these individual portions are easier to prepare and can be scaled up or down depending on the size of your crowd. We’ve prepared these for a Friendsgiving of ten and in intimate dinner for two.

The Art of Food and Wine has an excellent individual beef wellington recipe that would be perfect for your intimate Christmas dinner. They make use of pâté in their recipe, and we’ve also prepared it with a prosciutto substitution with great results! Whichever method you prefer, we hope this Christmas beef idea will help make your holiday table a warm and memorable one.