Christmas Recipes > Meat Dishes

Pork
Open Pork loin out on board and rind side down. Put prepared stuffing along centre of pork forming into roll. Tie pork roll securely with string at 2.5cm (1") intervals down pork. Rub pork rind well with oil, then rub salt well into the rind; this ensures crisp crackling.. Place pork roll into oiled baking dish. Bake in hot ovenfor 20mins. Reduce heat to moderate and cook for further2 hours or until pork is cooked through. remove pork from baking dish and remove string. Serve with orange liquer sauce or cold, thinly sliced with salad.

Orange Stuffing
Heat butter in pan, add orange rind, lemon rind, peeled and finely chopped onion, finely chopped bacon, rosemary, thyme and sage. Saute gentley until onion is transparent; remove from heat. Put breadcrumbs into bowl, add onion mixture and beaten egg, mix well. Seasn with salt and pepper.

Orange Licquer Sauce
Combine 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup water, 2 crumbed chicke stock cubes, 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (or brandy) and 1 tablespoon corn flour. drain off all fat from baking dish, add the sauce. Stir until the sauce boils and thickens. reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

Turkey
Pack stuffing into turkey , including cavity at the neck end. This gives thebird a good shape. Tie legs togeather. rub softened butter well into the bird, over legs and breast - sprinkle with salt. Place into baking dish, add water and crumbed stock cubes. Cover turkey with greased foil or brown paper. bake in low oven until cooked. (25 mins per 500g [1lb]. Remove foil or brown paper 30 mins before end of cookingtime to brown. baste with pan drippings .

Forcemeat Stuffing
Chop onion and bacon finely, saute in heated butter until onion is transparent. Add meat, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Bind with beaten egg. add a little milk if mixture seems too dry.

Duck
Rub the duck with salt and pepper and then stuff it with ¾ of prepared rice stuffing (keep the remainder to serve with the brandied peaches. Place the duck in an oiled baking dish., and brusk completely with oil. Roast in a hot oven for 15 mins.and then reduce heat to moderate, cook until tender ( allow 25 mins per 500g or 1lb cooking time), brushing with oil from time to time. Serve with bradied peaches that have been filled with the remainder of rice stuffing.

Rice Stuffing
Cook rice in boiling salted water until tender, then drain. While still hot pour one tablespoon of oil over rice and toss lightly. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add chopped celery, chopped mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add to rice with chopped shallots, salt, pepper , chopped peaches and mixed herbs.

Brandied Peaches
Use 3 peach halves from the can for the stuffing. drain the remainder, place syrup from the can and cinnamon stickinto saucepan and simmer gently for 5 mins. Remove cinnamon stick, stir in brandy. Add peach halves and heat through gently.

Honey Glaze
Carefully remove skin from ham, cut surface fat into neat diamonds. Put remaining ingredients for glaze into bowl, stir until combined. Put ham into large baking dish, brush well with glaze. Put in moderately hot oven, cook approximately 30 minutes or until ham is golden brown; brush frequently with honey glaze while cooking. Decorate ham with whole cloves and halved glace cherries (put halved toothpicks into ham, press cherries on to toothpicks).
Glaze ham on the day required. When glazed the day before, the glaze can become thin and the gloss is not as rich.
Note: Warmed, sieved apricot jam also makes a simple but delicious glaze for ham. Apply and bake as or Honey Glaze.

Black Cherry Glaze
Remove any gelatine from outside of ham. Drain cherries, put syrup in saucepan. Blend 1 tablespoon of the syrup with cornflour, add to saucepan with port. Stir over heat until sauce boils and thickens. Arrange cherries on top of ham, pour glaze over.