Everything you need to know about cooking holiday meats

At my house, holiday meal planning is well under way.  This weekend, I am making a chicken for our Friendsgiving celebration, the following week ham and barbecue meatballs are on the menu, and then we end the holiday season with a lucky pork roast with a side of sauerkraut.  I am looking up number of pounds of meat per person, roasting times for each different meat, and sides to match besides.  Whew!

So, as I work through the chaos that is Google, I had an inspiration!  Why not put together a blog post for my friends out there, so we don’t all duplicate each other’s work during this already busy season?  So here it is, folks, the cheat sheet to the holiday cooking exam.

I have listed below:

• Holiday cuts

  • Pastured Pork

  • Grass Fed Beef

• Meat per lb. suggestions

• Cooking times

• Fully cooked temperature

Pastured Pork

• Christmas Ham

  • Servings: Estimate ¾ lb. per person for bone-in, ½ lb. for boneless

  • Estimated Cooking Time for “Cook Before Eating” Ham: 20 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees

  • Cooked temperature: 145 degrees 

• Ham Steaks

  • Servings: Estimate ½ lb. per person

  • Estimated Cooking Time for “Cook Before Eating” Ham: 40 minutes at 400 degrees

  • Recipe: http://www.willowrunfarmpa.com/blog/sheet-pan-ham-dinner-for-2-4

  • Cooked temperature: 145 degrees

• Pork Loin Roast

  • Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person

  • Estimated Cooking Time: 25 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees

  • Recipe: www.willowrunfarmpa.com/blog/porkloinroast

  • Cooked temperature:

    • 145-150 degrees Medium Rare

    • 150-155 degrees Medium

    • 155-160 degrees Medium-Well

    • 160 degrees Well
      

Grass fed Beef

• Brisket

  • Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person

  • Estimated Cooking Time: 1 hour per pound at 225 degrees

  • Cooked temperature:

    • 135 degrees Medium Rare

    • 145 degrees Medium

    • 150 degrees Medium Well

    • 160 degrees Well Done

• Prime Rib Roast

  • Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person

  • Estimated Cooking Time: 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees

  • Cooked temperature:

    • 135 degrees Medium Rare

    • 145 degrees Medium

    • 150 degrees Medium Well

    • 160 degrees Well Done

And don’t forget, all these lovely grass fed and pasture-raised meats can be found at your local farm store!

Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours!