With farmers warning of a turkey shortage for the 2021 festive season, you may be thinking about sharing an alternative Christmas dinner this year. May we suggest, a delicious dinner of good old British Beef?
Ethically produced beef is a family favourite that always goes down well, and it's an excellent choice for the festive season.
Totally delicious
Fits Easily into your oven (or barbecue!)
Easy to carve
many different ways to cook it according to the time and space you have available
Goes well with many different herbs and spices for a Christmas dinner that you truly enjoy.
Undercooked beef is delicious not deadly
Presentation is easy
minimal (if any!) waste
Full of B vitamins and Iron
Dozens of ways to use any leftovers
A firm family favourite
Ethically produced beef sits comfortably with modern values
As you probably know by now, I’m a big fan of regenerative farming. In other words, producing food in an ethical and environmentally sensitive way.
grass fed beef is just about as environmentally friendly as you can get. The animals enjoy high welfare standards, plenty of fresh air, a varied diet of grass, wild flowers, leaves and herbs, lots of space and a stress-free life.
the husbandry methods use to rear ethically produced beef are as close as possible to what nature intended for these magnificent beef. They are given space to behave naturally, interacting with their field-mates, finding shade in hot weather, selecting the most succulent grasses to graze on, and exercising and resting whenever and however they want to.
Its not just the cattle that benefit from this type of farming. The soil beneath their feet is enriched by their dung, insect populations thrive among the wildflowers and the beasts which in turn brings greater biodiversity to the area. grass reared beef supports a whole ecosystem.
when you eat ethically produced beef you are helping to conserve Britain's landscape and environment as well as the farmers, vets, butchers and farm shops who contribute so much to their local communities.
Conveniently sized joints to minimise food waste
I love to have the whole family around for Christmas dinner. To achieve that all important wow factor, when I bring the dinner to the table, I like to have a good sized, beautifully presented portion of protein. One that says “this will be a feast for everyone”.
Beef joints are wonderful in that, if you are pressed for oven space, you can cut them into two or three smaller pieces before cooking and not spoil the presentation at all. And if you do happen to be pushed for time, ‘pink’ beef is perfectly safe to feed to your friends and family.
talk to your butcher. He or she will know just how much beef you will need to feed everyone around your Christmas dinner table. There's no need to over-buy - a piece of meat can be cut to suit your needs. That way you will be supporting the environment (and your pocket!) by minimising food waste.
My favourite Christmas beef recipes
There are lots of different ways to cook beef so that It’s extra special for Christmas Day. Beef Wellington, is of course a classic. How about mini beef wellingtons made with fillet steak wrapped in sherry infused chestnut mushrooms and covered with crumbly puff pastry.
How about beef with a lovely thyme and fennel crust? Simply add thyme leaves and fennel seeds to fresh breadcrumbs, bind the mixture together with cooking oil (or melted butter) and coat the roasting joint. Cover the whole thing with foil for the first half of the cooking time and then remove the foil so that the topping can crisp up without burning.
And for the leftovers - who could resist beef baps with home made beetroot and red cabbage coleslaw? Indulgent AND healthy. Yum.
Where to buy your Christmas Beef
For a flavoursome fillet of beef that’s just right for Beef Wellington, try our 42 day aged Red Poll Beef. It’s lean, it’s tender and it’s ready to order right now from our website.
Feeling hungry? Ring the changes on Christmas Day with a thoroughly indulgent tomahawk steak, sear it on the barbecue for a festive feast with a difference.
Tantalise your tastebuds with a slow cooked brisket. It will fill your kitchen with delicious aromas as it prepares to just melt in your mouth. Great value for money too!