With Christmas coming up, it can be pretty daunting to cook an entire Turkey and find a recipe for marinating it in. But who says you have to eat only Turkey during Christmas? There are other meat options which are just as delicious, some more affordable, and in fact, even less daunting to prepare than Turkey.
If you don’t know where to get your meats, why not check out Huber’s Butchery, who has gladly introduced to us to four other meat options that we can consider preparing for Christmas.
1. Ham hock ($35/kg)
More commonly known as pork knuckle, Huber’s Butchery has simply marinated it with salt and glazing it with honey before precooking it in the oven. Imagine a sweet and savoury flavour that will make you want more with a texture that is pretty similar to ham.
It’s so simple to prepare! Simply cover the knuckle in foil and cook in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for around 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, glaze with desired amount of honey and cook in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes before carving to serve. Weighing around 900g to 1.3kg the ham hock is perfect for an intimate party for two or three people.
2. Duck ($20/kg)
If you like your Christmas meats more gamy, opting for duck will give you a more flavourful option as compared to Turkey. It is also more tender without being overly fatty.
Before ordering, ensure that you have at least a 45cm oven. Upon collecting the duck, simply roast at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and a half before serving.
To check if the duck is cooked, pierce a fork through the breast to see if the juice runs clear, stating that it is cooked. A perfect meaty feast that will keep 4 to 6 people really satisfied through the night of feasting.
3. Goose ($29/kg)
If you like your birds slightly fattier, getting a goose is definitely for you. The fat helps to keep the meat moist and makes the meat more flavourful, so you can be ensured that you won’t be getting meat that is dry and bland during this festive period.
With each geese weighing around 4 kg, make sure that you have an oven at least 60cm before ordering. To prepare the geese, put it into the oven and roast at 160 degrees Celsius for 2 and a half to 3 hours before serving.
Again, you will want to check if the goose is cooked through thoroughly by piercing a fork through the breast to see if the juice that runs out is clear, indicating that it is cooked.
Perfect for bigger parties, each goose feeds around 8 to 10 people. Surprise your guests with something different on the table for Christmas this year.
4. Suckling Pig (Rolled Loin & Belly) – ($39.50/kg)
The last of the four alternative meats, but probably one that looks the most tempting. The Spanish suckling pig loin and belly is a excellent choice given its crunchy crispy skin and moist fat layers that will make whipping up Christmas dinners a child’s play.
Ensure that you have at least a 45cm oven. To prepare this, simply place the pig loin and belly in the oven (skin-side up) before roasting at 180 degrees Celsius for about 1 hour. Turn the temperature up to 200 degrees before roasting for another 10 mins.
Check out Huber’s Butchery video that introduces the alternative meats, and demonstrates how you can easily cook these at home. Still unsure on some of the steps? Why not make a trip down to the store at 22 Dempsey Road for a chat with any of their friendly butchers!
So there you have it, your meats for Christmas all settled, just waiting to be enjoyed by your guests. However, ensure that you place your orders before 16th Dec, 8pm to avoid disappointment.
Though so, we suggest that you place your orders way before that as we heard from the Huber’s team that stocks are limited and first-come-first-served!
You can place your online order from Huber’s X’mas site here!
Huber’s Butchery: 22 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249679 | Tel: 67371588 | Order here! | Facebook
Opening hours: Mon to Fri: 9.30am – 8pm, Sat to Sun: 9.30am – 7pm
Festive Operating hours: Open on Sat (24th Dec): 9am – 6pm, Closed on Sun (25th Dec) and Mon (26th Dec), Business as usual on Tues (27th Dec).
*This post was brought to you in partnership with Huber’s Butchery.