Southern Christmas Roast
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What is the most popular main dish for Christmas dinner?
Besides a Christmas ham or roasted turkey, it’s a Southern Christmas roast because it’s the culmination of a Southern family tradition that goes straight to the heart of the holiday season!
Bring the taste of Christmas in the South to your dinner table with this Southern Christmas roast recipe – the perfect centerpiece for your holiday dinner!
Packed with savory seasonings and spicy zing, this flavorful Christmas roast will surely be a holiday tradition in the coming years.
This one-pot meal will feed a family, and Instant Pot makes cooking a breeze! An easy must-have on your Christmas dinner menu.
What is a traditional Christmas roast?
People also ask, “What is a classic roast?”
A classic Christmas roast is seasoned and roasted to tender perfection, usually accompanied by a medley of roasted carrots and potatoes.
What do you put in a Christmas roast?
This Christmas roast recipe still includes Southern soul food seasoning. But is elevated with classic Christmas ingredients like fresh cranberries, cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar for balance, brown sugar, and cloves.
Infused with all the sweet and savory flavors of the deep South, you’ll be saying “Merry Christmas” with the first bite of this juicy and tender beef tenderloin!
This festive cut of meat is marinated in a zesty spice blend, then glazed with tangy cranberry sauce and pressure cooked to perfection.
It’s a delicious roast recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for potlucks or company at home.
Level up your Christmas Eve dinner recipe and treat your family to the warm, homey aroma of this Instant Pot Christmas roast recipe.
What is the best holiday roast?
This Southern Christmas roast recipe!
A beautiful cut of beef marinated with cranberry and herbs. Then glazed with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Oven-roasted or Instant Pot pressure cooked.
And, of course, served on Christmas Day!
The term Christmas roast can refer to the meat itself or the whole meal that includes the meat.
What is a traditional Christmas dinner menu?
It starts with a show-stopping main dish, like this incredibly festive Southern Christmas roast recipe!
Christmas dinner recipes Southern Christmas roast
Kitchen equipment for a Southern Christmas roast
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
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Ingredients for a Southern Christmas roast
- 2–3-pound beef roast
- ½ cup beef broth
- ½ cup of balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup of cranberry sauce (canned or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 cup of fresh cranberries
- 6-8 sprigs of thyme
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions for a Southern Christmas roast
- Mix the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the beef roast.
- Using a knife, pierce the roast all over and set it aside.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil into the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Stir the marinade mixture, then place the roast in the inner pot.
- Add the cranberries and thyme to the pot with the roast, and then baste the roast with the marinade.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
- When cooking is finished, allow a natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Baste the roast with the marinade inside the pot.
- Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce, slice and serve Southern Christmas roast with the pan sauce as gravy, and enjoy!
Southern Christmas roast in the oven
- Mix the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the beef roast.
- Using a knife, pierce the roast all over and set it aside.
- Pour the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil into a roasting pan.
- Stir the marinade mixture, then place the roast into the pan with the marinade.
- Add the cranberries and thyme to the pot with the roast, and then baste the roast with the marinade.
- Roast for about 20 min per pound of meat or until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees F for medium-rare.
- Remove from the oven and allow the roast to cool before slicing.
- Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce, slice and serve Southern Christmas roast with the pan sauce as gravy, and enjoy!
What is a traditional Christmas dinner in the South?
So what do you serve with a Southern Christmas roast?
The shining star of a Southern Christmas dinner. A Southern Christmas roast is served even better alongside mashed potatoes, green beans, and a cold glass of homemade Christmas eggnog.
Not forgetting a slice of Christmas sweet potato pie for dessert!
What do you serve on a soul food Christmas dinner menu?
What exactly is a soul food Christmas dinner menu?
It’s a traditional Christmas dinner in the South. A feast of Southern soul food and Black folks’ recipes.
Succulent and juicy meats like Christmas turkey, Christmas ham, or a Southern Christmas roast recipe.
Washed down with a good old Southern pecan pie recipe or Christmas tea cakes for dessert. These dishes make for an authentic soul food Christmas dinner.
What are some easy soul food Christmas dinner menu ideas?
Flavorful tender juicy meats and savory seasoned sides like these:
- Southern creamy mashed potatoes
- Soul food collard greens
- Black folks chicken and dressing
- Fresh cranberry sauce
- Southern potato salad
- And a good old-fashioned candied yams recipe
Southern Christmas roast FAQs
Is it better to cook roast fast or slow?
The low temperature during slow roasting increases the internal temperature slowly so that the whole roast cooks evenly across the meat.
New-age appliances like slow cookers and pressure cookers also work well for meat exactly how you like it, from the outside to the center.
Does roast get more tender the longer you cook it?
Yes and no…
While the secret to an incredible roast recipe is to let it cook for long enough, its tenderness is also influenced by the cut of meat you choose.
What cut of meat is a Christmas roast?
Prime rib is considered to be the classic holiday roast. Also known as rib-eye prime rib, it’s synonymous with its rich beefy flavor, marbled texture, and intense taste.
The most tender cut of meat in the beef section. Prime rib is a lean cut of beef with a bit of fat, so the flavor is enhanced, and it cooks up tender. Making it an excellent choice for holiday recipes.
Prime rib is indeed the classic holiday roast.
What is a classic Sunday roast?
A classic Sunday roast is a meal traditionally eaten on a Sunday, consisting of roasted meat, usually beef, lamb, chicken, or pork.
The meal is often accompanied by potatoes, various types of vegetables, gravy, and sometimes a horseradish sauce.
There is no one single recipe for Sunday roast. Instead, it’s a composition defined by tradition.
What is the most tender roast beef roast?
Several cuts of beef can be made into tender roasts, but the most tender beef roast is the beef tenderloin, which is lean and succulent.
It is relatively delicate as it’s a small muscle full of fats and moisture, so it is ideal for roasting.
The flavor of the tenderloin roast is relatively mild and sweet. The texture is also smooth and refined. As a result, it is the best for slicing.
What is the most flavorful roast?
The most flavorful roast is the rib-eye roast. Rib-eye is considered to be the most delicious because of its fat content and fantastic marbling.
Moreover, the rib-eye roast is a boneless cut from the center of the roast, which makes it much easier to prepare.
However, in the U.S., the rib-eye roast is the most expensive cut of the roast!
What cut of steak is prime rib?
Always ask for a standing rib roast when shopping for the best prime rib.
As its name implies, a standing rib roast comes from the rib portion of the cow.
Butchers often cut standing rib roasts in half because they’re huge and can weigh up to 25 pounds – Wowza!
The first and second cuts are referred to as the first and second, respectively.
What is the most popular Christmas dinner?
A Southern soul food menu because of the flavorful, savory, and sweet eats!
How do you make a Black folks soul food easy Christmas dinner menu?
From the rooter to the tooter, as old Black folks might say. Meaning from the snout to the tail – my secret to an easy soul food Christmas dinner is Instant Pot recipes.
Love easy Instant Pot side dishes?
Check out this Instant Pot easy Christmas dinner menu for the best soul food side dishes!
You’re sure to find the soul food classics and flavors they’re all expecting in this roundup of Black folks’ easy Christmas dinner ideas.
What are the top Christmas dinner foods?
Want some holiday sweets too?
What is the best meat for Christmas dinner?
- Southern Christmas roast
- Christmas Southern turkey
- Soul food Christmas ham
- Soul food lamb chops
Which ones have you added to your easy Christmas dinner menu?
What is the original Christmas meat?
In England, turkey is considered the traditional Christmas meat, along with minced meat pies.
What is the roast called in The Grinch?
The most hilarious of Christmas recipes! Dr. Seuss illustrates the Whos celebrating Christmas with a beefy “Roast Beast!”
What can you make with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving or Christmas?
What do you think about this soul food easy Christmas dinner with a Southern Christmas roast recipe?
Have you had it?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker optional
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound beef roast prime rib
- ½ cup beef broth
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce canned or homemade
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cranberries fresh
- 6-8 sprigs thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the beef roast.
- Using a knife, pierce the roast all over and set it aside.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil into the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Stir the marinade mixture, then place the roast in the inner pot.
- Add the cranberries and thyme to the pot with the roast, and then baste the roast with the marinade.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
- When cooking is finished, allow a natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Baste the roast with the marinade inside the pot.
- Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce, slice and serve Southern Christmas roast with the marinade sauce as gravy, and enjoy!
- *Ooven instructions in the notes below
Video
Notes
- Mix the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the beef roast.
- Using a knife, pierce the roast all over and set it aside.
- Pour the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil into a roasting pan.
- Stir the marinade mixture, then place the roast into the pan with the marinade.
- Add the cranberries and thyme to the pot with the roast, and then baste the roast with the marinade.
- Roast for about 20 min per pound of meat or until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees F for medium-rare.
- Remove from the oven and allow the roast to cool before slicing.
- Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce, slice and serve Southern Christmas roast with the pan sauce as gravy, and enjoy!