With Lent and Good Friday officially behind us, Easter Sunday brings with it the perfect opportunity to get together with family and friends, and celebrate over a delicious home cooked meal and a fragrant glass of fine wine.
Yet, if it’s your turn hosting this year’s Easter lunch, worries surrounding cost, preparation time or your level of cooking skills could easily mar an otherwise joyous occasion. Fret not, producing a delicious and satisfying meal doesn’t have to break the bank or even take hours to prepare.
Thanks to La Boucherie’s ready-to-roast meats, cooking an exquisite main dish this Easter calls for minimal effort. To make it even easier for you, we’ve put together a list of La Boucherie’s pre-stuffed, ready-to-roast meats, complete with preparation time, serving suggestions and even wine pairings! To top off this article, we’ve also included a selection of expert tips on how to make this year’s Easter meal an effortless feast to remember.
Our Range of Ready-To-Roast Meats
Traditionally Stuffed Pork Shoulder
This locally-sourced pork shoulder is lovingly stuffed in-house using a mouthwatering mixture of Maltese sausage meat, bacon and fresh herbs. With all the preparations done for you by means of fresh, high-quality ingredients, all that remains is roasting the pork shoulder in the oven until it is juicy and warmed through.
Trust us, cooking this roast to perfection couldn’t be any easier! Simply pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Chop 1 or 2 bulbs of fresh fennel into small pieces and add them to a baking tray along with 500ml of chicken stock and 1 glass of fine white wine. Then proceed to add the stuffed pork along with a touch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Leave it to roast for 2 to 3 hours – depending on the size – until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 72˚C. When it is cooked through and piping hot, serve with your preferred choice of side dishes such as classic mashed potatoes and a fragrant dish of roasted veggies.
Wine Pairing Recommendation
No celebratory dish is quite complete without the right bottle of wine to pair with it. For this sausage and bacon filled pork shoulder we suggest popping open a dry and fruity Chablis wine. The Roux Pere et Fils Chablis 2018 has a pleasingly bright aroma that conjures images of citrus and fresh herbs.
Its smooth and fruity undertones provide a pleasing counterpoint to the pork’s savoury flavour profile whilst the wine’s mineral notes enhance the pork’s juicy tenderness.
Truffle & Pistachio Stuffed Pork Shoulder
For a more Italian-styled main dish, why not opt for La Boucherie’s truffle & pistachio stuffed pork shoulder? This delectable roast is filled with a tantalising blend of pork mince, truffle paste, chopped pistachios, smoked bacon and fresh parsley.
Designed to delight the taste buds, the earthy and oaky flavours of the truffle paste works harmoniously with the smokey bacon to perfectly balance out the sweetness of the pistachio and the refreshing taste of the parsley. Together, this blend of ingredients produce a symphony of flavours that are able to elevate any meal.
Equally as exquisite but at a fraction of the cost, this stuffed pork shoulder could easily form part of an entrée served at the finest fine-dining restaurants. Yet, despite yielding a sublime dish, cooking and serving this roast is surprisingly cost-effective and requires minimal effort. We recommend following the same instructions detailed for the traditionally stuffed pork shoulder and serving it with a side of crunchy roast potatoes and your favourite blend of greens.
Wine Pairing Recommendation
Seal off this lavish meal with the perfect bottle of Sancerre. The B&G Sancerre Passeport LABEL 2019 is a brightly acidic white wine that is characterised by its crisp pineapple and grapefruit notes.
Its full-bodied but citrusy undertones thoroughly balance out the juicy tenderness of the pork, whilst the mineral quality of the wine enhances the earthy complexity of the pork and truffle flavours.
Stuffed Lamb Shoulder
Perhaps one of La Boucherie’s most unique offerings, this ready-to-cook lamb shoulder is stuffed with an enticing combination of fresh spinach leaves, crisp onion and creamy feta cheese. We love how the juiciness of the lamb is flawlessly counterbalanced by the refreshing, yet rich, blend of ingredients used for the stuffing. When cooked, this roast lamb is a melt-in-your-mouth success that is sure to leave your guests well-satiated.
Wine Pairing Recommendation
For this spinach and feta stuffed lamb, we recommend a medium-bodied red wine with elegant tannins and a generous level of acidity. The Barone Ricasoli Chianti DOCG 2019 is a ruby red wine produced in the renowned Tuscan vineyards. Boasting a playful balance between the fruity, cherry flavours of the Sangiovese grapes and a distinct earthy acidity, this wine is well-equilibrated with clean yet flavourful notes. When paired with lamb, this wine’s high levels of acidity help to break down the fatty juiciness of the meat, whilst its sweet undertones accent the refreshing taste of the stuffing and allow for a well-balanced finish.
La Boucherie’s Tips For a Memorable Easter Feast
- Mix and match. If you’re hosting a huge Easter feast with multiple food preferences, consider mixing and matching different roasts. Since all three pre-prepared roasts require similar cooking time, it is easy to prepare them simultaneously and offer appealing variety to satisfy all of your guests.
- Serve with a selection of sides. Once you’ve picked your roast (or roasts!) make sure to offer a selection of side dishes to complement the meaty-star of your meal. From potatoes to crunchy veggies, your sides have the ability to enhance the flavours of the meat and make your dish complete.
- Pair with the right wine. Wine and meat pairing is an art-form that, when done correctly, can effortlessly elevate your main dish. Offer just the right bottle of wine for your guests to enjoy during their meal and allow the blend of flavours to take your dish to the next level.
- Benefit from competitive pricing. Last but not least, by purchasing your ready-to-roast meats from La Boucherie you would be benefitting from incredible competitive prices, starting from just €3.25 per portion. Who says great food has to break the bank?
- Easy preparation with superior taste. Opting for ready-to-roast meats saves you the time and effort of preparing your own stuffed roast. However, since La Boucherie makes it a point to exclusively source the freshest ingredients, you are also afforded the peace-of-mind of serving gourmet quality meat that tastes superior.
Purchase Your Ready-To-Roast Meat Today!
Being true meat lovers and Malta’s best wholesale butcher, all of our meat is guaranteed to offer you excellent quality and unbeatable flavours. We want to help bring you easy-to-cook options for any occasion, whether that is Easter dinner or your weekly Sunday roast.
At La Boucherie, you’ll find a wide range of premium meat options at wholesale prices with same-day delivery for orders placed before 13:00. Yet, if you prefer to make your purchase over the counter, feel free to visit our fully-stocked butcher shop in Qormi and browse our impeccable selection of fresh meats in-store.