Christmas dinner, what's your festive meat?

Christmas dinner (I think) is one of the best parts about Christmas day, but all too often I think we ALL moan about it something rotten, especially about the main meat! Turkey gets its badmouthing about being too dry, too much hassle to prep and cook. Goose gets moaned about its fat content and cooking time etc, and it all seems to cost an awful more every single year!
So what are you all having as the meat main for your festive dinner? The traditional turkey, something exotic,a veggie option?!!?
For us, a nice sized turkey which has spent it's life with a small clutch of other turkeys gobbling around a relative's small holding, they tried a new idea of ultimate free range of keeping a stock broken dog living with them to protect them (like pyraneans and sheep!) and it's worked well considering they've been totally free range and foxy hasn't taken any! And it'll be cooked to perfection, as my turkey's never dry . A nice peice of beef from a local butchers, and a game pie made from whatevers been shot or caught via dogs around this time of year. Same every year, I vowe one year to do goose as a main...nobody else is as keen!

It's turkey for my family, even though I hate it.... I wont have to eat any this year, though, as the turkey's in Ontario, and I'm 3 provinces away

People here dont eat goose, infact you cant even buy it in regular stores... You have to buy it directly from a farm, same with Duck. My grandma used to do a ham and a turkey (and in later years skipped the turkey and did a chicken instead... she hated turkey too LOL)

As far as veggies go... a cheese and brussle sprout casserole, mashed potatoes and yams, usually carrots or asparagus or something.

M & S stuffed crown of turkey, every year, it is SUPERB.

My Mum has a Chicken/Turkey crown to herself and cooks a joint of either pork or beef for the family. I have Breaded Chicken as I'm not a fan of Chicken or any meat without it ()

OH's Mum, if cooking for the whole family instead of a few members, cooks Duck, Turkey, Pork, Beef, Chicken (including breaded for her fussy son) and also pigs in blankets..

All with the usual, roast tatas, Yorkies, veg, mash and sometimes new potatoes..

OH's Mum also does a starter (My Mum can't be ar*ed) of either prawn cocktail or breaded chicken Gouirgons (Sp)

Then for dessert, my mum has her homemade Christmas cake - of which she will eat herself through into the new year 'cos no one else likes it, the rest of us have Chocolate Fudge or Chocolate Gateaux with Icecream or custard.
OH's Mum does chocolate puddings with custard, icecream and also Christmas cake..

A glass of Sherry, Port or Wine at my Mum's too.. Schloer (sp) as well..

This year - I'm cooking Christmas dinner as my Mum is working. I love Christmas

Haunch of venison and a duck courtesy of a relative
Mixed seafood starter lots of veg.Christmas pud with various sauces and a Rasberry Brulee.Bottle of Champagne Christmas morning

Mahoosive turkey, roast and mashed potatoes, peas, carrots and sprouts, Yorkshire pudding topped off with delicious gravy. For sweet a trifle followed by After Eights mints. Asti with the meal and a lovely cup of coffee to finish off.

Then fight off sleep all afternoon

Turkey crown being cooked tomorrow here, so that we can have it cold Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve lunch we've got a nice rib of beef with all the trimmings, which we'll be sharing with the dogs and nobody else.

I don't cook Christmas Day, I just do lots of special nibbles and cold meats, salad, jackets in the oven, because we like to stretch it out, get up later, longer walk with the dogs, home for them to open their pressies, then a shower and change into something special, then open the Champers and open our presents, but we pace ourselves with them so that they last all day long! Then it's feet up with the telly and dvd's. I've done enough cooking every day of the year, so Christmas is my day off and Dave doesn't cook, but we like it this way, nice and relaxing, no stress, no family, no friends, just us!

We usually have venison or duck as don't like turkey. Not keen on roasts in general.

This year we are getting a big Indian take away on Saturday night and putting it in the fridge and then warming it up on Xmas day. Height of lazyness.

Now, admit it. It's a damn good idea. LOL

For the last few years we have had rib of beef - totally delicious! We also cook a small turkey to have cold and for the dogs to share.

I'm a veggie so having crispy filo halloumi dome with roast potatoes , brussel sprouts and carrots .
Followed by winter berry trifle
Mmmmmmm , lovely