Holiday main dishes

Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs with Dried Apricots
Even though there’s quite a time lapse between browning and serving short ribs, very little of it involves work. This version fills your house with especially enticing smells. Serve the ribs with creamy mashed potatoes or polenta and crusty bread.

Double Pork Loin Roast with Fennel and Sage
Two boned pork loins tied together create an impressive-looking roast. This shape is found in many markets; you can also ask your butcher to assemble one for you.

Standing Rib Roast
For easy carving, have the butcher cut the rib-eye muscle from the bones, then tie the meat and bones back together for roasting.

Beef Rib Roast with Rosemary
The rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves scent rather than overwhelm the meat, which is otherwise seasoned only with salt and pepper.

Crown Lamb Rack with Green Herb Couscous
It’s wise to order this classic roast a few days ahead. Have your butcher trim the fat from the lamb rib racks, trim the bone ends, cut off the backbone for easy carving between ribs, and tie racks together to make a crown roast.

Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Chutney
Serve with a curry-seasoned risotto or pilaf and a nippy salad of watercress or Belgian endive.

Christmas Posole
A rich pork stew is spiced with roasted poblano chilies and red chili sauce.

Crown Roast of Pork
Although a standing beef rib roast is the traditional choice for a holiday dinner, its counterpart, a crown roast of pork, is just as spectacular.

Drumstick Crown Roast
A playful crown of chicken drumsticks maks a delicious smaller-but-impressive choice for the main course.

Vegetarian entrées

Autumn Vegetable Ragout with Soft Polenta
Mound polenta on dinner plates or in shallow bowls and ladle vegetable ragout over polenta.

Roasted Kabocha Squash Bowl with Autumn Vegetables
This is a multicultural twist on the more common soup-in-a-squash bowl: turn the kabocha into a sort of Moroccan tagine for vegetables and add an Asian-flavored sauce.