This might sound like a Dorothy Dixer, but does beef have a place on the Christmas table?
The Puharich family Christmas table is usually decked out with a beautiful glazed ham and a turkey or goose as the centrepiece; we do our big grills on Boxing Day. But there’s no reason they won’t work just as well for Christmas itself. While we’re spoilt for choice with great beef in Australia, I can’t go past a well-aged, 30-month-old prime piece of grass-fed rib-eye as my go-to cut of beef for a centrepiece. Yes, grass-fed can be a bit firmer to the tooth than grain-fed beef, but it’s that texture that brings a level of beefy flavour and juiciness that’s hard to go past. Depending on the size of your gathering, ask your butcher to cut a prime rib of beef into individual steaks that can be grilled, or leave it as a whole rack that can be roasted in the oven.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous and want to try something different, flank is a perfect piece of meat to barbecue on an open flame. It’s important to remember to slice this particular piece of meat against the grain before serving, sharing style, for the whole table to enjoy.
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