Christmas "party" dinner

onpoint456

We are hosting a Christmas party with our safe family and I am responsible for dinner.

I plan on doing prime rib and green lightning shrimp but I feel this is some what ordinary as I've done similar menus before. I'm looking to kick it up a bit, maybe with some new sides?

What do think/suggestions?

dmourati

I was in a similar quandary a few years ago and went with APL's beef tenderloin:

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1210685/serious-barbecue-adam-perry-lang-whole-beef-tenderloin-with-worcestershire-sauce/

Highly recommended.

Maybe instead of shrimp, go with crab or lobster?

onpoint456

dmourati said:

I was in a similar quandary a few years ago and went with APL's beef tenderloin:

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1210685/serious-barbecue-adam-perry-lang-whole-beef-tenderloin-with-worcestershire-sauce/

Highly recommended.

Maybe instead of shrimp, go with crab or lobster?

Thanks, I think I will give this a go. I was window shopping at Costco last week and they had both prime and choice. The price was about double for prime. 

What are your thoughts on choice vs prime for a whole tenderloin?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

onpoint456 said:

dmourati said:

I was in a similar quandary a few years ago and went with APL's beef tenderloin:

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1210685/serious-barbecue-adam-perry-lang-whole-beef-tenderloin-with-worcestershire-sauce/

Highly recommended.

Maybe instead of shrimp, go with crab or lobster?

Thanks, I think I will give this a go. I was window shopping at Costco last week and they had both prime and choice. The price was about double for prime. 

What are your thoughts on choice vs prime for a whole tenderloin?

With the 400 ingredients that APL normally adds I think choice would be fine for just about anything you do of his. The flavor is going to be in the rub/glaze/spritz/board dressing. The subtle difference you would get from the additional fat in a tenderloin will be completely drowned out by the big flavors APL likes. 

nolaegghead

And good luck finding a spring from a young sassafras tree.

onpoint456

nolaegghead said:

And good luck finding a spring from a young sassafras tree.

Lol thanks. Sassafras grows like a weed here in va 😉

nolaegghead

"Sprig" sorry, autocorrect 

500

Kroger sells crab cakes in the butcher section. Very tasty for a surf and turf. And French onion soup is a great appetizer before the steak. 

Foghorn

I don't disagree with @The Cen-Tex Smoker very often (and when I do, I'm usually wrong), but for tenderloin I've always thought that the difference between prime and choice is worth the cost for a special meal.  It's such a lean cut that the added tenderness of prime meat is noticeable to my crowd.  

Lowcountrygamecock

Debating between prime rib or beef tenderloin using APL’s recipe for Christmas dinner but I’ve never cooked either. What’s the cook time per pound for a prime rib and for a beef tenderloin?  That may make the decision. 

nolaegghead

Foghorn said:

I don't disagree with @The Cen-Tex Smoker very often (and when I do, I'm usually wrong), but for tenderloin I've always thought that the difference between prime and choice is worth the cost for a special meal.  It's such a lean cut that the added tenderness of prime meat is noticeable to my crowd.  

I agree it's better but I'm not sure it's 2x the price better.  But then again I'm a cheap bastard.   For Ribeye I prefer the choice because I find prime way too fatty and I leave a lot of that fat on the plate when I'm done.

Langner91

Lowcountrygamecock said:

Debating between prime rib or beef tenderloin using APL’s recipe for Christmas dinner but I’ve never cooked either. What’s the cook time per pound for a prime rib and for a beef tenderloin?  That may make the decision. 

They both get cooked to very similar IT's, and use similar "roasting" (indirect) setups in the Egg.  They are going to have very similar, pound for pound, cooking time.  If you have bones to act as your roasting rack with a prime rib, it may take a little longer.  But, overall, pretty comparable in my experience.

Edit to add:  What a wonderful problem to have!  Good luck with your cook!

onpoint456

Langner91 said:

Lowcountrygamecock said:

Debating between prime rib or beef tenderloin using APL’s recipe for Christmas dinner but I’ve never cooked either. What’s the cook time per pound for a prime rib and for a beef tenderloin?  That may make the decision. 

They both get cooked to very similar IT's, and use similar "roasting" (indirect) setups in the Egg.  They are going to have very similar, pound for pound, cooking time.  If you have bones to act as your roasting rack with a prime rib, it may take a little longer.  But, overall, pretty comparable in my experience.

Edit to add:  What a wonderful problem to have!  Good luck with your cook!

Thanks for the info. The APL recipe from above isn't indirect cooking. Is that a mid to the directions? Our should I stick to direct, sear first method?

Langner91

I just noticed that.  I like indirect to catch the juices.  I guess I normally think indirect for those types of cuts.

Either way, I think they will cook similarly, time-wise. 

onpoint456

Thank you all, dinner turned out great. I deviated a little from the recipe above. Ingredients stayed the same but instead of high heat direct, I opted for 275 indirect reverse sear.

Beef was served with green lightning shrimp, pineapple head sous vide carrots and garlic thyme smashed potatoes.