The Q Guild Butchers Alternative Meat Suggestions for Christmas

Want something a little different at Christmas try one of these suggestions from our butchers:

Be adventurous one of our members sells a Chuckling at Christmas, which is a boneless duck stuffed with chicken breast and sausage meat.
Try a regional delicacy steak pies for example are a popular alternative to usual Christmas meats in Scotland. Your butcher will be able to advise.
Game is a nice change for Christmas pheasants are an excellent choice for smaller families. A brace (pair) of pheasants serves 4-5 people.
An economical alternative to turkey is shoulder of pork. This is still full of flavour and can serve a big family at Christmas, but is much cheaper.
For good crackling, ask your butcher to score the rind. stand meat on trivet in roasting tin, rind uppermost. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt, and do not cover.
Q Guild butchers are renowned for the quality of their pork sausagemeat. These can make a great base to produce a more exotic stuffing by adding your own ingredients.
Goose was traditionally the preferred Christmas meat before turkey became popular. Geese are big-boned so you will need to allow 750g per person. however, younger birds are smaller and more tender, so it would be better to buy two small geese instead of one large one.
A great alternative to turkey is Beef Wellington. Choose topside, sirloin or rib, and wrap the meat in pancakes before adding the pastry this ensures that the flavours don't escape and the pastry doesn't become soggy.
Another more unusual option is a large cockerel these are specially reared for Christmas and only available from specialist butchers.
If you are only catering for a few people at Christmas, don't be afraid to ask your butcher for a small joint of beef of turkey. they will be more than happy to cut joints to suit your size and budget