A Carefree Christmas

The weeks for preparation have dwindled down to a few days, and, as Christmas approaches, careful planning becomes the key to enjoying the wonders of the season . . . and a relatively carefree, delicious meal.

With the holidays just beginning to cruise in high gear, this is the time to decide on a menu for Christmas dinner. In just a day or two, most of us will begin counting the hours instead of the days left until the big day. It’s enough to make you wonder why you ever thought the holidays could be fun.

So beat the system. Snag a few quiet moments for yourself right now and do some realistic figuring. Just how much time are you honestly going to have to spend in the kitchen preparing the celebration meal? Trying to cook and set up the holiday table while answering the door and the telephone and visiting with welcome but inconvenient visitors can turn what should be a happy occasion into a nightmare. Christmas is supposed to be joyous, but if you’re disorganized, it quickly will become onerous.

Also, be realistic about how much help you’re going to have from other family members or friends. It’s wonderful to want to prepare everything with your own talented hands, but not at Christmas. There are too many other things going on.

If you can arrange to do the meat portion of the menu yourself and parcel out the rest of the meal for others to prepare in their own, less chaotic kitchens, fine. Just be sure to assign vegetable side dishes, salads, breads and desserts that travel well to whomever can do them best. Speak up now and ask for help from whomever will be joining you. That way everybody--even you--will enjoy both the wonders of the day and a delicious meal.

The first step in organizing a relatively carefree holiday menu is to decide what the piece de resistance will be. Then you can suggest portable accompaniments that will be compatible. You can, of course, again opt for turkey as the focal point of the celebration meal, but why not branch out a bit. There are other easy-to-prepare meats that will make life a little easier to face at the last minute.

A standing beef rib roast always is a winner at Christmas. But so are other red meat roasts. A full cut leg of lamb is easy to do and looks very festive when accompanied by a rich Tabbouleh, a bulgur-based Middle Eastern salad flavored with mint leaves, cucumbers and other diced vegetables.

Still another good main dish choice is pork tenderloin. Roast enough tenderloins to serve the number being fed and serve them thinly sliced with a tangy green peppercorn sauce. If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, any or all of these meats will make wonderful snacks and sandwiches when hunger pangs strike again.

Whether you choose to try one of these suggestions or settle for an old family favorite, don’t delay making the decision on what your menu will be. Then you’ll have plenty of time for the real worries of the holiday, such as whether Aunt Mabel’s present will arrive on time--or, for that matter, whether Aunt Mabel herself will arrive on time.

STANDING RIB ROAST

1 (4- to 5-rib) standing beef rib roast

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt, pepper

Flour

Yorkshire Pudding

Cumberland Sauce

Horseradish Cream

For easier carving have butcher loosen chine bone by sawing across ribs and then tying roast. Rub beef with Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle outside fat with flour and pat lightly.

Place rib roast, fat side up, on rack in open roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so bulb is centered in thickest part of roast. (Do not add water and do not cover.)

Roast at 325 degrees to desired degree of doneness. Remove from oven, place in warm spot and cover lightly with large piece of foil when thermometer registers 135 degrees for rare, 155 degrees for medium, 165 for well done. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. (Since roast continues to cook during standing time, internal temperature usually rises approximately 5 degrees, reaching 140 degrees for rare, 160 degrees for medium and 170 degrees for well done.)

Transfer roast to serving or carving platter with largest end down to form solid base. Garnish as desired and serve with meat juices.

To carve, insert fork between two top ribs. Starting on fat side, carve across grain to rib bone. Use tip of sharp knife to cut along rib bone to loosen slice. Be sure to keep close to bone to make largest serving possible. Slide knife back under slice and steadying with fork, lift slice to side of platter. If platter is not large enough, place slices on additional heated platter.

Serve beef with Yorkshire Pudding, Cumberland Sauce and Horseradish Cream. Allow 1/3 to 1/2 pound per serving.

Yorkshire Pudding

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

Hot beef drippings or melted butter

Combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and water in blender container. Beat until just blended. Chill, covered, 1 hour. Place 1/4-inch beef drippings in 13x9-inch ovenproof baking dish. Heat in 400-degree oven until drippings are hot.

Quickly beat chilled batter again in blender. Pour into hot basking dish. Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until golden brown or puffed. Serve immediately. Makes about 10 servings.

Cumberland Sauce

Zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup currant jelly

1/4 cup Port

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cut up zest and place in blender container with jelly, Port, orange and lemon juices, mustard, hot pepper sauce and cornstarch. Blend until zest is finely cut. Pour sauce into saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat 5 minutes. Makes about 1 cup.

Horseradish Cream

1 cup whipped cream

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon horseradish

Combine whipped cream, mustard and horseradish. Makes about 1 cup.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH TABBOULEH

1 (7-pound) leg of lamb

Salt, pepper

2 to 3 cloves garlic, slivered

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves

Tabbouleh

Season leg of lamb to taste with salt and pepper. Make small slits over lamb with tip of knife. Insert slivers of garlic into slits. Rub olive oil and oregano over lamb. Place lamb, fat side up, in roasting pan.

Roast at 325 degrees to desired degree of doneness (140 degrees internal temperature for rare, 20 to 25 minutes per pound--160 degrees for medium, 25 to 30 minutes per pound--170 to 180 degrees for well done, 30 to 35 minutes per pound).

To avoid overcooking, remove meat from oven when internal temperature is 5 degrees below desired temperature. Let stand in warm spot lightly covered with foil about 15 minutes before carving. Serve with Tabbouleh. Makes about 12 servings.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)

1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons minced mint leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

Pour boiling water to cover over bulgur in bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain. Stir in tomato, cucumber, almonds, green onions, mint leaves and garlic. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until serving time. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

PORK MEDALLIONS WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE

4 small pork tenderloins

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves

2 teaspoons minced rosemary leaves

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup water

Green Peppercorn Sauce

Place pork tenderloins in glass baking dish. Spread mustard over tenderloins. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and marinate overnight.

Transfer tenderloins to roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. If desired, place under broiler to brown. Keep warm.

Add water to roasting pan, scraping up any browned bits. Reserve drippings for sauce. Slice tenderloins into medallions and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Green Peppercorn Sauce

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 shallot, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

Reserved pan drippings

2 tablespoons green peppercorns

1 cup whipping cream

Salt

White pepper

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add shallot and carrot pieces. Saute until shallot is tender. Stir in reserved drippings and peppercorns. Simmer until carrot is tender. Stir in cream. Reduce until thickened to desired consistency. Makes about two cups.

Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane; Silver plate accessories from Landes; China from Taitu