Save this BBQ Tip
Enter your email, and I’ll send this link directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get new BBQ recipes and tips weekly.
Release Date: December 12, 2023
LAS VEGAS – Award-winning pitmaster Christie Vanover shares her top tips for how to grill the main course for a memorable Christmas dinner.
“I grill yearround because I love the unique flavor you get from cooking food on a grill. Whether you’re cooking on a charcoal, gas or pellet grill, the addition of smoke and char add a little something special to food,” said Vanover. “Everyone wants something special for the holidays. With these five grilled Christmas dinner ideas, you’re sure to impress your friends and family this year.”
Grilled Prime Rib
Prime rib roast is one of the most luxurious cuts of beef. When seasoning, Vanover recommends running a knife between the bones and the meat, so you can apply more rub to the roast.
Her 3-step cooking technique starts by cooking it slowly over indirect heat. It’s finished at a higher heat to create an herbaceous crust. Then, she lets it rest, so the juices settle and flavor the beef.
Pork Prime Rib Roast
For those looking to impress their guests with something non-traditional, Vanover said a pork prime rib roast is a great option. The cut includes both the pork loin and baby back ribs.
She uses seasonings that complement pork and follows the same cooking method as her beef prime rib roast.
Grilled Ham
Vanover said grilled ham is one of the easiest main dishes to serve for the holidays because it’s already cooked and just needs to be reheated. She recommends starting with a spiral-sliced ham because it makes slicing and serving easier.
She cooks ham over indirect heat on a grill in a pan of liquid to add flavor and keep it moist. She seasons her ham with mustard and pork rub and finishes it with a glaze made of orange marmalade, soy sauce and hot sauce.
Smoked Turkey
Turkey only gets the spotlight a few times a year, so remembering how to cook it can be tricky. Vanover has several tips on what size turkey to buy, how to thaw it, brine it and season it. She also has pointers for how to cook a turkey on a gas grill, charcoal grill, pellet grill and electric grill.
Smoked Cranberry Salmon
If you have pescatarians joining the feast, Vanover suggests adding cranberries, oranges and pistachios to smoked salmon for a festive twist. She smokes a whole salmon filet for 45 minutes with fresh citrus and finishes it over higher heat with cranberry rosemary chutney.
For more grilling tips and recipes, visit girlscangrill.com/category/bbq-tips.
Founded in 2015, Girls Can Grill is an online resource for all things related to griling and barbecuing. The site, which is owned and operated by pitmaster Christie Vanover, contains hundreds of recipes, how-to videos, product reviews and BBQ tips to help everyone from the beginnger barbecuer to the most advanced pitmasters. Christie has won multiple state BBQ championships, is the 2023 Nevada BBQ Team of the Year and appeared on Season 4 of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl. She also starred in and produced several how-to videos for Ninja Kitchen’s outdoor grill line and is an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys. She has cooked on dozens of grills and has around 30 in her backyard at any given time.
