The biggest meal of the year is only a few days away. Most people save up to ensure they have a table filled with gammon, turkey, roast beef, leg of lamb and on the side maybe some chicken and prawn.
I am a believer of less is more, especially during the holiday season. Do we really need to over indulge in food we would never really eat? Do we really need 5 different types of meats and 4 vegetables and 6 salads? Do we really need to force ourselves to enjoy certain combination just because it is a holiday tradition?
Our family tradition is slightly different. We prefer to have a cold Christmas lunch – hot food in mid summer is not enjoyable. We would generally serve chicken, leg of lamb and gammon (my dads favourite). The standard potato salad, pasta salad and green salad would be served. It would be more like a casual grazing day than a sit down lunch.
Making your Christmas lunch low carb friendly should be fairly simple. Double check the seasoning you want to use. Stay clear of the any sweet bastings and look out for hidden sugars in all pre made items you buy. Find some inspiration in low carb magazines like the Lose It Magazine (in South Africa) ( Lose_It_33_-_November_2015, Lose_It_33__September_2017). Or perhaps browse through our recipes for that perfect main course.
I would personally recommend pork belly for a main. You can enjoy it hot or cold and the next day it tastes even better.
Herbed Pork Belly
Herb rub
- 125ml Olive oil
- 3 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
- Fresh coriander
- Fresh sage
- Fresh Oregano
- Salt and pepper.
- You can replace the herbs with your favourite.
Method
- Add all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Pork Belly
- 1.5 kg Pork belly (scored)
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Season the pork belly with salt and pepper. Marinade the belly in the herb rub overnight for maximum flavor.
- Place the pork belly in an over proof dish and cover with foil. Bake at 160 C for 90 – 120 minutes.
- Remove foil and grill until pork skin is crispy.
You can add the herb rub to lamb, chicken and even roast vegetables.
For the love of...... 