Here at Ó’Crualaoí, it’s our favourite time of the year! We love to make the most of the festive season, and our highlight is, of course, an excellent Christmas dinner. We have a range of the best meat in Ireland, supplied by local producers who guarantee great quality and full traceability, and we’ve designed a delicious range of accompaniments so that you can order your Christmas Feast all in one place.

We pride ourselves on being the best of Irish butchers, and we are always on hand to help our customers with advice and suggestions on the best options for everyone. We know that many people feel nervous about cooking a Christmas dinner, with worries about over or undercooking meat coming out top amongst the general public!

Our Top Tips For Cooking Your Christmas Dinner Properly:

We recommend the following to ensure that your Christmas meats are cooked to perfection this year:

1. When cooking turkey: Cooking turkey can be overwhelming because cooking times are so variable, but a simple formula can help you to get it right. You should calculate your cooking time carefully, allowing 20 minutes per lb for turkey on the bone, and 30 minutes per lb for turkey breast boned and rolled. These times are based on an oven set to 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees F/gas mark 4. You’ll know that your turkey is fully cooked when the juices run clear, and don’t forget that you should let your turkey relax for 30 minutes before carving.

2. When cooking ham: For a truly succulent ham to complete your festive table, it’s all about timing the cooking just right. You should cover your ham with plenty of cold water and simmer slowly, allowing 2 1/2 hours for a half traditional boneless ham or 4 1/2 hours for a full traditional boneless ham. For an extra tender, moist ham, you should let it cool in the cooking liquor.

3. When cooking spiced beef: Spiced beef makes an excellent addition to any festive meal, and the key is in the timing here, too. You should cover your beef with plenty of cold water and simmer slowly, allowing 2 hours for a piece of beef of approximately 1kg, 3 hours for 2kg, and 4 hours for a 3-4kg piece. To enjoy all the flavours of your meat to perfection, allow it to cool in the cooking liquor.

Visit Irish Butchers For All Your Christmas Food

Here at Ó’Crualaoí, we supply a wide range of delicious meat and deli products that are produced locally, with full traceability from farm to fork. We know that finding good Irish butchers can be challenging, so you can choose Home Delivery, Click & Collect or visit your local store in Ireland to make the most of our expertise.