What is the difference between striploin, ribeye and tenderloin?

Tenderloin is the most tender and mildest in flavour. Ribeye is medium-tender with rich, buttery marbling. Striploin sits in between, with a firm bite and a bold, beefy flavour. All three are premium steak cuts.

Is striploin a tender steak?

Striploin is medium-tender. It is firmer than ribeye and tenderloin but rewards you with a stronger, beefier flavour. Cook it no further than medium and slice against the grain for the most tender result.

Which steak cut is best value in Singapore?

Striploin and ribeye usually offer the best balance of flavour and price. For wagyu-like richness at a lower price, marbled Meltique striploin and ribeye are popular choices. Tenderloin is the most expensive due to its tenderness.

Where can I buy fresh steak in Singapore?

Tasty Food Affair cuts steak in its own butchery and delivers across Singapore in its own refrigerated trucks, with free delivery on orders above S$65.

Roast prime rib of beef resting on a board for Christmas dinner

Christmas Roast Singapore: Beef, Lamb or Pork Guide

August 23, 2026

Choosing the centrepiece

The Christmas roast is the one decision that shapes the whole meal, and the choice between beef, lamb and pork comes down to the crowd, the budget, and the cook's confidence. Each has a classic roasting cut, a characteristic flavour, and its own demands. Below is what each one offers, how to size it for your numbers, and how to time it so it reaches the table at its best — which, for a roast, is the hardest part.

Beef: prime rib (standing rib roast)

The most impressive and most expensive option. A standing rib roast is a row of ribeye on the bone — richly marbled, deeply flavoured, and the centrepiece that makes the strongest impression. Best cooked to medium-rare and rested well. The reverse-sear method (low oven, then a high-heat blast to crust the outside) is the most reliable way to roast it evenly. A whole striploin roast or whole tenderloin are leaner, slightly less dramatic alternatives. Allow roughly 300 to 400g bone-in per person.

Lamb: leg or rack

A roast leg of lamb is the traditional festive choice in many households — flavourful, generous, and forgiving. A bone-in leg feeds a crowd and carves impressively; a butterflied (boneless) leg cooks faster and more evenly. For a smaller, more elegant table, a rack of lamb (or two) is quicker and refined. Lamb is best served pink, at medium. Allow roughly 300 to 350g bone-in per person for a leg, or two to three rib bones per person for a rack.

Pork: loin, belly or leg (for crackling)

Pork is the value choice and the crackling-lover's choice. A bone-in pork loin or a pork leg with the skin scored gives the crisp crackling that is, for many, the best part of Christmas. Pork belly, slow-roasted, is rich and forgiving. The key to crackling is dry skin: score it, salt it, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight before roasting, then start the roast at high heat to blister the skin. Allow roughly 300 to 375g bone-in per person.

Sizing for your numbers

A rough rule across all three: 300 to 375g of bone-in meat per adult, or around 200 to 250g of boneless meat per adult, for a main course alongside sides. Scale up if your crowd are big eaters or if you want leftovers (which, at Christmas, most people do). For a table of eight, that means roughly a 2.5 to 3kg bone-in roast. Always round up — a slightly large roast gives leftovers; a slightly small one leaves guests short.

Cooking times and temperatures

Use a meat thermometer — it is the only reliable way to hit the doneness you want on a large roast. Pull the roast 3 to 5°C below the target, as it rises during resting. Approximate internal pull temperatures:

Beef, medium-rare: pull at 52°C (final 55 to 57°C)
Beef, medium: pull at 57°C (final 60°C)
Lamb, medium-rare to medium: pull at 55 to 58°C
Pork, just cooked and juicy: pull at 60°C (final 63°C, with a rest)

Rest large roasts a generous 20 to 30 minutes, loosely tented with foil. The rest is not optional — carving a roast straight from the oven loses the juices onto the board. A large roast holds its heat well during the rest, so there is no need to rush it to the table.

The make-ahead timeline

Christmas dinner fails when everything peaks at different times. A staged plan keeps the roast and sides synchronised.

One to two weeks ahead: order the roast, especially premium cuts like prime rib, before the festive rush. Blast-frozen joints can be ordered early and thawed closer to the day.
Two to three days ahead: if frozen, move the roast to the fridge to thaw slowly. A large bone-in roast can take two full days to thaw in the fridge.
The day before: for pork crackling, score and salt the skin and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry. Prepare any sides that hold well. Make the gravy base.
On the day: bring the roast to room temperature before cooking, roast to temperature with a thermometer, and build the rest of the meal around the roast's resting window — sides finish while the roast rests, and the gravy is finished with the roasting juices.

Frequently asked questions

How much roast meat should I buy per person?

Roughly 300 to 375g of bone-in meat or 200 to 250g of boneless meat per adult for a main course with sides. Round up for big eaters or if you want leftovers, which most people do at Christmas.

Which is the best meat for a Christmas roast?

It depends on the table. Prime rib (beef) is the most impressive and most expensive; leg of lamb is traditional, flavourful and forgiving; pork is the value choice and the one for crackling lovers. There is no single best — match it to your crowd and budget.

How do I get crispy crackling?

Dry skin is everything. Score the skin, salt it, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out. Start the roast at high heat to blister the skin, then lower the temperature to finish. Moisture is the enemy of crackling.

How long should I rest a Christmas roast?

A generous 20 to 30 minutes for a large roast, loosely tented with foil. This lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the meat when carved. A large roast holds its heat well, so resting does not mean serving it cold.

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