Christmas dinner

Next week is the week of Christmas, and I guess everyone is still in a rush. Recession or not, gift-giving will never be completely eradicated from the Filipino tradition, especially during the Christmas season. We may trim down the list, but there will always be a list.

Another cherished tradition that will never go out of fashion for the Filipino family is the Noche Buena. Most families observe this on the eve of Christmas, decking out the dining table festively with all the goodness of Christmas. After the Christmas Mass (which, in keeping with the extraordinary occasion, is extra lo-o-ong), the long-winded repast is finally shared by family and close friends.

Others choose to gather round the lunch table on the 25th itself, which actually makes a lot of sense too because between the Midnight Mass, the dinner and the gift-giving on Christmas eve, bedtime is usually in the wee hours of the morning, so preparing for a big lunch the next day leaves one light-headed and heavy-limbed.

For my family, we’ve always shared a midnight repast on the 24th, right after the Midnight Mass. Maybe it’s a big indicator of age but I haven’t veered away from this tradition for decades now. It’s a small dinner, if you look at the size of the group as there’s just the four of us but the wife makes sure the table is set formally, with sparkling goblets and wine glasses and crisp linen. The silverware and crystal come out only once a year, and that is Christmas time.

Blame it also on age, but there are certain items on our Noche Buena table that do not change. The huge slab of Angus Rib Eye or prime rib roast for one, with the mandatory griller beside it. Come midnight of the 24th, the Angus Rib Eye which we’re having this year will gleefully take its place of honor in the center of the dining table. It’s a huge slab because the following day it will again take center stage for the annual family reunion every 25th. As sure as there is Christmas, and barring unforeseen events like importation bans or something as serious as that, the clan knows there will always be a huge slab, juicy and pink on the inside, waiting at the Christmas table every 25th.

This Christmas, my mother-in-law is making her signature dish again, the Mechado. For some it is a common enough dish but when done perfectly, it is worthy of the Christmas table. Unlike others, she uses the tender, fatty Kalitiran which she simmers very slowly in lots and lots of fresh tomatoes. When the oil comes out and the beef is fork tender, this dish is done and it’s always a winner come reunion time on the 25th.

Because Christmas for the Filipino family is always a time of plenty, she is also preparing her signature lengua. Her version is nothing fancy, but the unmistakable flavor of gently simmered garlic is outstanding in this dish. Plus, of course, the almost mushy tenderness of the lengua slices, and mushrooms a-plenty in the sauce.

Another mainstay in our Christmas table is the butterflied prawns, simply battered and deep-fried. I guess it’s our concession to the aging members of the family who are always looking for the non-meat entrees.

That just about makes the list as far as our Christmas table goes. Oh yes, the other platters and bowls that adorn the table are the mandatory Chinese ham, the rich macaroni salad and the Marca Pato or Marca Pina Queso de Bola, and the ever-present leche flan with slivers of tender macapuno for dessert.

Our ham is usually the Excelente brand, but for the bold and brave, we also have the South China brand which is saltier and has a stronger flavor. My late father would always comb Binondo in search of Jamon China-his Christmas holidays would never be complete without it.

The macaroni salad is from my late mother’s recipe, and we had it every Christmas time, without fail. While the usual version of this only had chicken and pineapple chunks with the macaroni doused in mayonnaise, Mom’s differed. She added a lot grated cheese, pimiento diced finely, a lot of sweet pickles which she chopped finely herself, and diced hard boiled eggs. I never knew why she never went for the pickle relish instead of going into the hassle of chopping up the pickles, but this she did, patiently, every Christmas.

Other ideas for the holidays: this one I got from my wife’s side. She always prepares several bowls of walnuts (not salted please) mixed with raisins, one for every table. It’s a good pica pica while waiting for dinner. The contrast of textures and the pleasant sweetness of the raisins against the walnuts make for great munching. This has become another mainstay in our Christmas reunions and family members actually look forward to these little bowls.

Or just have a big bowl of nuts in their shell and have a good nut cracker available. It’s fun cracking the fresh nuts while having lively conversation with relatives you only get to see once a year, but make sure you do it outdoors.

It’s also the season for pot luck dinners and innumerable Christmas parties. My wife made one great discovery from Lucy Torres-Gomez’s Sunday column which by the way she dutifully clips every Christmas because of the great finds there. The Kinulob na Manok that she wrote about sounded so interesting that we opted to bring it as our pot luck contribution one such party. The chicken, intact and whole, is stuffed with chorizo bilbao inside its stomach. The broth, rich and obviously with lots of olive oil is thus flavored. Alongside the chicken are fat slices of tender hamonado liempo and whole heads of garlic gently simmered in the broth. Squeeze out the tender garlic-exquisite.

We complimented the lady who makes it, Tita Sosy (I hope we got the spelling right) and she was very gracious about it. Check out Lucy’s column last Sunday, Dec. 13 for her contact numbers. The dish is a good buy at P850.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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