So, you’ve been doing some hunting, managed to bag a few Grinches!  Congratulations!  NOW What??

Well, I wanted to take a moment and offer some suggestions and an easy original Grinch recipe from my own Whoville Santa’s chef pantry.

Now – Whoville Santa is a firm believer that proper Roast Grinch preparation begins in the sleigh.  He recommends that once you bag a Grinch- field dress it right away!

Once you’ve got your grinch dressed, dragged or sleighed from the woods, there are several options available for processing Grinch.

Whoville Santa likes to let all his Grinches hang several days and then butcher them himself, but not everyone has access to a North Pole cooler or a workshop full of Whoville helpers or elves.

For Non-Whoville Santa’s, or those with multiple Grinches in their bag, there are plenty of Whoville Grinch processors out there who do the job for a small fee, turning mean old Grinches into a tasty variety of vacuum-packed meats.

Whatever your preference- once your freezer is filled, what better time than the Holidays to host a Roast Grinch Feast?!

I’m sure there are some doubters, that hesitant few. I hear it all the time; “I don’t know…. I don’t think I like to eat Grinch.”

I suspect most of those folks either never have tried roast grinch, or if they did, they got their grinch meal from someone who didn’t properly follow Step 1.  So why not try it!  Who knows?  You might actually enjoy a nice holiday grinch roast!  Prepared properly, Oven Roasted Grinch can bring cheer to any holiday feast.

Plus, even if you didn’t manage to bag a Grinch this season, don’t fret!  This recipe’s pretty versatile.  Any good holiday fare is.  Don’t be afraid to substitute. This roast grinch recipe works equally well with beef, pork, lamb or venison.  All I know is, when I make it- everyone on Santa’s “Nice” list comes clamoring for more.  There are rarely leftovers!

So, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

“Roast Grinch”

Ingredients:

2lb Roast of Grinch (Any cut- shoulder recommended)  

1lb Thick cut bacon strips (any flavor)

2 Big Onions (Sweet or Red recommended.  One of each works too.)

1 pkg. Mushrooms (Whole or Sliced, Santa’s Choice)

1 Big Green Bell Pepper (optional)

Fresh Ground Black Pepper Grinder

A Dash of Garlic Powder

Other spices To Taste:

(I recommend Smoky Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Liquid Smoke

Worcestershire Sauce

1 Stick Butter

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You Will Need: 

One glass topped oven dish (if you can’t find one – use any oven pan big enough, and cover it in foil), big enough to hold the roast.  A small handful of toothpicks, a small bowl, 2 pot holders, a big fork & a sharp knife!

Note: If you are pre-cooking it to serve later, you’ll need heavy duty foil too.

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Degrees.

 Trim, rinse, and pat dry your favorite cut of Grinch.

Slice the onions, green pepper & mushrooms, keep them separate to start.

In the bowl, mix ground pepper, garlic powder, and any other dry spices you choose. You will need a fairly generous amount.

Mix half of the spices with the onions. Set the other half aside, to go under the roast, & to mix with the mushrooms & green pepper slices.

 Rub butter on the Grinch Roast so your spice mix will stick.

Work the other half of the spices into the grinch.

Shove sliced onions into every grinch nook and cranny.  Don’t be shy with the onions!  Any onions you have left over- put a good layer in the bottom of your glass dish, mix the rest with the mushrooms & peppers to slather over everything before you put it in the oven.

Lay out bacon slices equal to the length of your onion stuffed Grinch.  Wrap the whole thing up together. Patch any gaps with more bacon as you go.

Once your Grinch Roast is fully bacon wrapped, fasten it at the top with the toothpicks, then lay it gently on top of the onions in the glass baking dish.

Cover with the remaining onions, green peppers & mushrooms

Hit the whole thing again with pepper from the grinder, and any more spices you care to add on top.

Finish with a few generous splashes of liquid smoke & Worcestershire Sauce.

Cover and put it in the oven.

Cooking time: About 2 hours- depending on the size of your Grinch.  If it’s a bone in Grinch- cook until the meat literally falls off the bone.  For boneless cuts of Grinch- stick a fork in it.  Even Cindy Lou Who should be able to carve it when done.

Once cooked, remove your roast grinch from the oven. It’s ready to serve! Some Whoville Santa’s leave the bacon on when serving, some remove it.

If planning a pre-cook holiday feast for camp, let your roast grinch cool a bit- double wrap everything in heavy duty foil, and refrigerate or put in the cooler until ready to warm it up again for “Camp Whoville” guests. 

Suggested sides:  Roasted Baby Reds and a nicely wreathed Christmas greens salad   

Recommended Wine Pairing: A nice glass of Holiday Cheer or Christmas spirits

Just remember: Whoville Santa’s “naughty” list doesn’t’ have any bag limits on Grinches!

Happy Holidays!

Photos by Richard Monroe