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This Might Be the Ultimate Winter Dish

Classic and unexpected cuts to star at your table, with sides to match.

Sunset Staff

Goodbye salad weather, hello toasty-roasty red-meat days. Cooler temperatures demand hotter meals, and the darkest days of the year seem to call for the biggest, heartiest, tastiest preparations possible. There’s a reason roasts are traditional for Christmas dinner, and it’s not just because they feed a crowd. They’re the ultimate winter dish—rich and warming, the perfect antidote to cold, austere days.

So, whether for your holiday meal or just to treat yourself to an exceptionally filling repast, try one of these recipes this December.  Go uber-traditional with roast goose, or stick to a tried-and-true dish like beef rib roast or prime rib. Make it a little lighter but no less flavorful with a feast built around a whole roasted rockfish. Or skip the meat entirely! Many vegetables roast up nicely and can stand on their own as the heart of a family dinner. Whether you’re in the mood for beef, pork, lamb, or even bison, we’ve got a holiday roast candidate below.

Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Roast Recipes

1 /29 Jennifer Causey

Coffee Brown-Sugar Bourbon Rib Roast

When you’re spending this much money on a cut of meat, you want to let it shine with simple but exciting seasonings. Blend coffee, bourbon, and brown sugar for a dark, thick rub that forms a crackly crust. Offset the roast’s richness with a refreshing watercress or arugula salad.

Recipe: Coffee Brown-Sugar Bourbon Rib Roast

2 /29 Jennifer Causey

Roast Goose with Potatoes, Onions, and Apples

No roast is more epic than a goose—it is, after all, the bird Charles Dickens forever immortalized in A Christmas Carol. A goose is all dark meat and very rich. The fat that drips from it is excellent for roasting potatoes and vegetables, and the skin turns golden and crisp, the poultry equivalent of pork cracklings.

Recipe: Roast Goose with Potatoes, Onions, and Apples

3 /29 Jennifer Causey

Roasted Rockfish with Artichokes, Citrus, and Lemon-Caper Browned Butter

Rockfish—also known as Pacific snapper or rock cod—is one of the most sustainable and widely available fish in the West, and has a mildly sweet flavor. Vermilion rockfish, with their scarlet hue, are especially pretty and tasty. For a large feast-worthy fish, order ahead of time from your seafood shop or counter.

Recipe: Roasted Rockfish with Artichokes, Citrus, and Lemon-Caper Browned Butter

4 /29 Jennifer Causey

Platter of Roasted Whole Vegetables

This trio of vegetables is easily as impressive as a meat roast. For a vegetarian feast, round it out with sides made from whole grains, mushrooms, and nuts, and a big green salad. Any of these roasts on their own can be served as a side dish too.

Recipe: Platter of Roasted Whole Vegetables

5 /29 Maren Caruso

Garlic-Rubbed Tri-Tip with Mint Caper Salsa

Tri-tip for Christmas? Yes—this wintertime take on the barbecue classic is elegantly Mediterranean.

Recipe: Garlic-Rubbed Tri-Tip with Mint Caper Salsa

6 /29 Maren Caruso

Oven-Smoked Chuck-Eye with Horseradish Cream

Tracy Smaciarz, who owns Heritage Meats in Rochester, Washington, cold-smokes this cut, then grills it over indirect heat. You can get a similar effect by oven-smoking the roast with wood chips and onions.

Recipe: Oven-Smoked Chuck-Eye with Horseradish Cream

7 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

This holiday roast has it all: velvety meat, salty cheese filling, a savory-sweet sauce, and a touch of smoke.

Recipe: Gorgonzola-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

8 /29 Iain Bagwell

Pork Shoulder Roast with Figs, Garlic, and Pinot Noir

Though this dish looks impressive, it’s easy to pull off, and the cut of meat is an inexpensive one.

Recipe: Pork Shoulder Roast with Figs, Garlic, and Pinot Noir

9 /29 Iain Bagwell

Spicy Beef Cross-Rib Roast with Caramelized Clementine Sauce

It takes some time to prepare the fresh clementine peel sauce for this dish, which was inspired by Chinese orange peel beef, but the results are worth it. Cross-rib roast costs a fraction of fancier cuts; to keep it tender, we recommend cooking only to medium-rare.

Recipe: Spicy Beef Cross-Rib Roast with Caramelized Clementine Sauce

10 /29 Iain Bagwell

Lamb Shoulder Roast with Roasted Garlic Sauce

How to turn an inexpensive cut into something that’s company-worthy? Season it with lots of fresh marjoram and garlic, then serve it with a richly flavored gravy made with the pan drippings plus more garlic.

Recipe: Lamb Shoulder Roast with Roasted Garlic Sauce

11 /29 James Baigrie

Salt- and Herb-Crusted Prime Rib with Fresh Horseradish Sauce

This splurge-worthy roast is studded with garlic slivers and served with a fresh horseradish sauce.

Recipe: Salt- and Herb-Crusted Prime Rib with Fresh Horseradish Sauce

12 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Beef Rib Roast with Rosemary

A pocket of rosemary and garlic gently seasons the meat as it roasts. Try it with a special designed-to-match menu.

Recipe: Beef Rib Roast with Rosemary

13 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Spice-Crusted Prime Rib

An initial half hour in a very hot oven ensures that this roast comes out beautifully browned and juicy.

Recipe: Spice-Crusted Prime Rib

14 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs

Slice into the roast to reveal the garlic- and three-herb filling.

Recipe: Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs

15 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Spiced Beef Tenderloin

Plenty of pepper and spices coat this beautiful cut of meat. For extra flavor and tenderness, start it a few days ahead.

Recipe: Spiced Beef Tenderloin

16 /29 James Carrier

Twice-Baked Beef Brisket with Onions

Braising the brisket slowly ahead of time and chilling it, then heating slices with the onion-rich pan juices just before serving, makes this dish easy on the cook and extra-flavorful. For the ultimate winter meal, be sure to make the whole menu.

Recipe: Twice-Baked Beef Brisket with Onions

17 /29 Thomas J. Story

Roasted Bison with Velvety Pan Gravy

For a change of pace this year, why not try bison? It’s lean and tastes similar to beef.

Recipe: Roast Bison with Velvety Pan Gravy

18 /29 Coral von Zumwalt

Rosemary Grilled Leg of Lamb

Marinated for a full 24 hours with lemon, rosemary, garlic, and warm spices, this chef creation has loads of flavor.

Recipe: Rosemary Grilled Leg of Lamb

19 /29 Leo Gong

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apple Sage Sauce

Here’s another choice to make for a small group when you don’t have much time.

Recipe: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apple Sage Sauce

20 /29 Thomas J. Story

Grilled Apricot-Stuffed Leg of Lamb

A marinade with spices seasons this boned and butterflied leg of lamb. You roll it up like a jelly roll around dried apricots, then slice it after roasting for mosaic-like pieces studded with the tender fruit.

Recipe: Grilled Apricot-Stuffed Leg of Lamb

21 /29 James Carrier

Standing Rib Roast

Coated generously with thyme, the roast is served with a beef broth and brandy jus. The dish pairs perfectly with this menu.

Recipe: Standing Rib Roast

22 /29 Yunhee Kim

Rosemary and Garlic-Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Unlike many roasts, this one is perfect for a small group (it serves only 4); plus, it cooks in just 30 minutes.

Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Pork Tenderloin

23 /29 Iain Bagwell

Fennel-Crusted Grilled Rack of Lamb

The meat’s coating of crushed rosemary and fennel seeds turns golden and crisp on the grill. Complete the meal with boiled thin-skinned potatoes and creamed spinach (and keep the dish in mind for spring, too—it’s great with asparagus).

Recipe: Fennel-Crusted Grilled Rack of Lamb

24 /29 Leo Gong

Crown Roast of Pork

Simple to prepare, a crown roast makes an impressive statement at the table, and it serves a crowd.

Recipe: Crown Roast of Pork

25 /29 Lisa Romerein

Roast Pork with Gingerbread Sauce and Celery Root with Bacon

This Norwegian-style roast has a red wine and port sauce that’s enhanced with lightly sweetened homemade gingerbread (or storebought gingersnaps) and a little cream. Make it with the whole Christmas in the Rockies-inspired menu.

Recipe: Roast Pork with Gingerbread Sauce and Celery Root with Bacon

26 /29 Thomas J. Story

Charcoal-Grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic

A day to brine and a slow roast over indirect heat on the grill are the secrets to creating a roast that’s deeply flavorful and tender.

Recipe: Charcoal-Grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic

27 /29 Annabelle Breakey

Sage-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins with Sage Butter

If you’re looking for a roast that’s easy to make, this is a great one—simple to season and grill, and a no-brainer to carve. A quick sage butter dresses it up.

Recipe: Sage-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins with Sage Butter

28 /29 James Carrier

Beef Rib Roast and Yorkshire Pudding from the Grill

A Sunset reader received an award in a Sunset grilling contest for this recipe. He grills prime rib, catching the drippings in a pan, then pours Yorkshire pudding batter into the drip pan, where it puffs and browns.

Recipe: Beef Rib Roast and Yorkshire Pudding from the Grill

29 /29 Christina Schmidhofer

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder

For meat that’s unbelievably tender and juice, start this roast in a hot oven so it gets nice and brown, then turn the heat way down and roast it slowly all day.

Recipe: Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder


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