Anyone else have a fail Christmas dinner?

[DrPizza]

The first year when I was doing a roast for the extended family, I asked my father in law if he knew off-hand what temp it was supposed to cook until. "160 degrees for medium rare." Well, as it was cooking, I started having 2nd thoughts. I went to Google instead of FIL, and freaked out when I saw that the 150 it was already at was way too high. Ran downstairs and pulled it out.

This year, did the roast the day before. 200 degrees in the oven, pan of water in there to keep the humidity higher, cooked it until it hit 125 degrees. Then cranked to 450 for 10-15 minutes and removed it. Perfect medium rare from edge to edge. The in-laws didn't seem too happy that there wasn't well done meat on it.

(I slice it paper thin on a meat slicer, and serve it cold with boiling hot au jus on the side to heat it in as it's used for beef on weck sandwiches; buffet style for dinners.)

 

[Ns1]

The first year when I was doing a roast for the extended family, I asked my father in law if he knew off-hand what temp it was supposed to cook until. "160 degrees for medium rare." Well, as it was cooking, I started having 2nd thoughts. I went to Google instead of FIL, and freaked out when I saw that the 150 it was already at was way too high. Ran downstairs and pulled it out.

This year, did the roast the day before. 200 degrees in the oven, pan of water in there to keep the humidity higher, cooked it until it hit 125 degrees. Then cranked to 450 for 10-15 minutes and removed it. Perfect medium rare from edge to edge. The in-laws didn't seem too happy that there wasn't well done meat on it.

(I slice it paper thin on a meat slicer, and serve it cold with boiling hot au jus on the side to heat it in as it's used for beef on weck sandwiches; buffet style for dinners.)

i swear all old people love well done.

 

[JS80]

Get your sister-in-law a meat thermometer next Christmas.

Cooked 2 tenderloins to a perfect medium-medium rare for my wife's family dinner. Problem is, quite a few of the geezers on her side of the family like their beef burned beyond recognition. Fuck 'em. I refuse to cook a tenderloin past medium. May as well take a dump on it and cook it in the dryer if that's the case.

The kids and younger adults absolutely loved it though. My wife showed the youngest girl there a nice medium piece and she says "No, that's too done for me." Then she points to a center piece that was just below medium rare, "I want THAT one." My wife smiled and said "You go girl!"

She used one. Pulled it out at 145 and let it rest for 20 minutes.

 

[iGas]

It was a great diner : Roast turkey, roast beef, lasagna, bbq prawns, mash potato, roasted baby potato, baked scallop honey yams, mixed green salad, shrimp salad, apple pie, sponge cake, and chocolate.

 

[iGas]

She used one. Pulled it out at 145 and let it rest for 20 minutes.

That is medium well done.

I'm good with anything between 140~145F.

 

[olds]

Dinner was OK. Rug rats running around out of control, not so much.

 

[IronWing]

Dinner was OK. Rug rats running around out of control, not so much.

Staple them to the floor. Then throw toys at them.

 

[Eos]

I didn't prepare anything this time, so the turkey was dry, the dressing had too much fruit and celery in it, and the baked! potatoes were hard. The green salad was good.

We need to figure out a way to prevent this person from cooking. Ever.

 

[silverpig]

WTF doesn't everyone have turkey for xmas dinner?

Brined, trussed, roasted turkey. It was fantastic.

 

[Goosemaster]

I am counting my blessings this year. Everything but one of the rolls was cooked to perfection.

 

[eits]

we have a fail christmas dinner every year... my gf's family comes over and we have honeybaked ham, cheese slices, sandwich bread, fresh fruit, potato chips, and yams. basically, it's ham sandwiches, chips, yams, and fruit.

... yeah, a big wtf...

christmas dinner is supposed to be like a second thanksgiving dinner almost. wtf is this sandwich bullshit?

sigh, whatever. i guess it's kinda like a tradition for them.

 

[dingster1]

Does having your stove catch on fire count?

 

[moshquerade]

we have a fail christmas dinner every year... my gf's family comes over and we have honeybaked ham, cheese slices, sandwich bread, fresh fruit, potato chips, and yams. basically, it's ham sandwiches, chips, yams, and fruit.

... yeah, a big wtf...

christmas dinner is supposed to be like a second thanksgiving dinner almost. wtf is this sandwich bullshit?

sigh, whatever. i guess it's kinda like a tradition for them.

sounds like no one wants to cook. sandwiches for Christmas dinner is fail. : /

 

[Fritzo]

Ham and kielbasa...traditional Polish fare. Yummy!

 

[waggy]

I had hospital cafeteria food. so a very bad cheeseburger.

My wife found out she had a blood clot in her lung on the 23rd and called me to take her in been stuck there since. made for a interesting christmas heh.

guess it had something to do with going back on birth control that caused it. guess its a risk with the pill.

 

[eits]

sounds like no one wants to cook. sandwiches for Christmas dinner is fail. : /

LOL tell me about it. But I guess tradition is tradition... who am I to change it?

 

[eits]

I had hospital cafeteria food. so a very bad cheeseburger.

My wife found out she had a blood clot in her lung on the 23rd and called me to take her in been stuck there since. made for a interesting christmas heh.

guess it had something to do with going back on birth control that caused it. guess its a risk with the pill.

Especially if she has a family history of clothing, heart disease, or a smoker.

I'm really glad to hear she's alive and well. Blood clots are very dangerous and can be fatal.

 

[Fritzo]

we have a fail christmas dinner every year... my gf's family comes over and we have honeybaked ham, cheese slices, sandwich bread, fresh fruit, potato chips, and yams. basically, it's ham sandwiches, chips, yams, and fruit.

... yeah, a big wtf...

christmas dinner is supposed to be like a second thanksgiving dinner almost. wtf is this sandwich bullshit?

sigh, whatever. i guess it's kinda like a tradition for them.

Smoked meats for Christmas is an English and German tradition, but they're supposed to be fancy- not like what you're describing We do a bone-in ham with pineapples, cherries, cloves, and based in a gingerale glaze. I also have a tray of 3-4 different dried sausauges, smoked salmon, 3-4 exotic cheeses, and various sweetbreads. We munch on that stuff until dinner.

 

[Regs]

We kept setting off fuses running the Microwave. The only time it happens is during Christmas and it's a rather unexplainable phenomenon .

 

[NikolaeVarius]

We kept setting off fuses running the Microwave. The only time it happens is during Christmas and it's a rather unexplainable phenomenon .

Christmas means you're running more things, and thus setting off fuses?

 

[SagaLore]

I made the mistake of going to Mumbai for Christmas rather than coming back to the states. So, my Christmas dinner was a half-assed version of Chinese food supplemented by steamed rice with a hair in it and a bottle of Indian wine that was worth nowhere near $10. I can't wait to get back to the US and have a belated Christmas dinner. Hell, I may cook mashed potatoes and gravy on New Year's Eve just out of desperation.

I don't miss the Indian version of Chinese food. Ugh. You should have gone to one of those rooftop entree and hookah setups, and had Indian food with gin and tonic.

 

[Regs]

Christmas means you're running more things, and thus setting off fuses?

Yes but we were running with the same energy use before christmas. The Christmas lights were an added energy usage off the circuit, sure, but then why did the fuse blow out when company arrived?

 

[DrPizza]

sounds like no one wants to cook. sandwiches for Christmas dinner is fail. : /

Bah! Maybe cold cuts is fail, but some sandwiches qualify as nice meals. (They still have Beef on Wecks as far East as you are in NY?)

 

[Saint Nick]

We had prime rib on Christmas evening, as well. It was pretty good. But my favorites are always the potato dishes, green bean casseroles, and other miscellaneous casseroles. YUM.

 

[Orsorum]

I don't miss the Indian version of Chinese food. Ugh. You should have gone to one of those rooftop entree and hookah setups, and had Indian food with gin and tonic.

You know what REALLY bothers me? I walked by a few hookah bars and didn't even THINK to stop and partake. I don't smoke but I don't have an issue with hookah every now and then.

Oh well, another time.

That's a damn good idea, though, seriously.