Noche Buena Shortcuts

CEBU, Philippines - The big Christmas dinner is already tomorrow night. The whole family gathers for the Noche Buena around midnight. Such gathering is a hallowed time in Filipino homes. So, by now the women in the family are already very busy in the food preparations.

But the thing is, time is running out, and running out fast. The tasks seem to magically heap up as the clock continuously ticks closer to Christmas Eve. It is a great challenge now to race up and get everything done in time.

Fortunately, there are techniques to quicken the cooking and the baking. Then, those in-charge at the kitchen may enjoy the Notche Buena with everybody else, no more stress whatsoever. The website www.yummy.ph shares useful ideas how to do it – what to freeze, what to make ahead, and the best way to prepare ingredients.

Cool down. During parties, keep all drinks in a cooler. This way, there will have ample space in the refrigerator and freezer for pre-prepped salads and veggies, meats in marinade, and leftovers.

Wrap it up. Speaking of drinks – there is a quick way to chill room-temperature wine quickly. Wrap a damp paper towel around the wine bottle and place it in the freezer for at least half an hour.

Oven-to-table. Use casserole dishes that can go straight to the dinner or buffet table from the oven. This saves time and effort in both preparation and cleanup.

Make ahead and freeze. Components of your mains and desserts can be made days or weeks ahead: cookie dough, pie crusts, roast stuffing, broth, and stock all hold well in the freezer.

Keep recipes visible. Write down or print out recipes on a piece of paper and tape it on the cupboard or wall, right next to your work station. Everything is at a glance and there’s no need to go through the phone notes or flip through a cookbook in between food preparation and cooking time.

Now for one dish that can be prepares in advance, here’s a recipe of everybody’s Christmas favorite Morcon, from www.lutuingbahay.blogspot.com:

Morcon

Ingredients:

•1 kilo meat of choice, sliced ¼-inch thick (3 pcs.)

•¼ kilo ground beef liver

•200 grams sliced sausages or ham

•200 grams pork fat (cut in strips)

•3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

•100 grams cheddar cheese in strips

•100 grams grated cheddar cheese

•2 onions, chopped

•5 bay leaf (laurel)

•½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

•½ cup vinegar

•2 teaspoon salt

•2 cups of water

•2 meters thread or string (for tying)

Procedure:

1.Spread and stretch the sliced beef on your working table, to make it into a ‘sheet’.

2.Arrange the filling on the beef sheet: sausage strips, cheese strips, sliced eggs, pork fat and some ground liver.

3.Roll the beef sheet with all the filling inside and tie safe with a thread or string.

4.Repeat the procedure for the two remaining beef slices.

5.On a pot, place the beef rolls and put the water, the remaining ground liver, grated cheese, chopped onions, bay leaves, ground black pepper and salt.

6.Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour.

7.Add the vinegar and continue to simmer of another hour or until beef is tender.

8.Slice the beef morcon, arrange on a platter and top with the sauce/gravy.

Merry Christmas and Bon Appétit! (FREEMAN)