Christmas main dish ideas...a red meat and a white meat... No ham. Thanks!

The classic British suckling pig spit roast in my Bompani is all we needs for the 25th and 26th

Try my recipe for braised beef, https://food52.com/recipes/25871-beef-braised-in-red-wine. I've made this any number of times for myself, and did it last year for 12 at Christmas. You can make it three days in advance and then reheat in the oven per the directions. For a "white meat" might I suggest Gravlax? You can start it ahead of time and then slice it thinly before serving.

my go to is https://food52.com/recipes/15387-ann-seranne-s-rib-roast-of-beef. I would also do a few simple roast chickens (Bell and Evans or Murrays). Both could rest for a good bit---especially the chickens....good hot gravy will bring it all together. Good luck. BTW I invested in a Therma-pen food thermometer....it has made everything I make so much easier bc it's so accurate.

My family always did a prime rib (roasted in a salt crust) for Christmas. It's pretty impressive and fun. You could also do a braised short rib over potatoes or polenta, or something hearty and stew-like, like beef bourguignon! And for non red meat... what about seafood? We usually do king crab legs on Christmas eve... just buy the legs, then we usually grill them(!), and then everyone just has a pile of crab legs, dish of butter, crusty french bread, and a salad, and digs in with their crab crackers!

I would do beef tri-tip and a pork loin roast, both on the grill. At least here in California, you can fire up the grill on Christmas Day.

If you have a lot of guests and can't do all the meat on the grill, I'd do the pork roast in the oven, save the fire for the beef.

Both are very low maintenance, non-fussy main dishes.

This may be chiming in but I agree that a beautiful Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding would be magnificent. Seeing that is so rich, for the white you might try a beautiful roast capon or simple roast chicken, which I find are often tastier than turkeys. Or a turducken?

Beef Tenderloin

Whatever meats you choose, perhaps do them both in the style of one country whose cooking you love. This will not only give your dinner a theme, but will make seasoning and making side dishes so much more coherent. Italian Moroccan, french, etc.

Roast beef, of course. For example: https://food52.com/recipes/19471-fennel-and-onion-braised-pot-roast-with-carrots I make this with Chiant. Serve with mashed potatoes. Can be made a day or two before - like any braise, it will taste better.

Not sure if the "white meat" parameter means some kind of poultry. If not, I'd make this marvelous pork tenderloin: https://food52.com/recipes/20939-honey-mustard-pork-tenderloin - it's quite easy and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. (I serve it at dinner parties, to people of all ages and everyone raves.) I make a nice pan sauce using the marinade which I simmer with stock and thinly sliced onions while the pork is in the oven; then I blend it to make it sort of creamy and add the juice of a lemon and all the pan drippings.
You can also take the sauce in a red wine + mushrooms direction: it can be made ahead of time, and stirred into the pan juices. So many options.

Have fun! ;o)

If your family won't eat lamb, how about a crown roast of pork? It is one of the most impressive presentations with the little "pants" on every chop and SO delicious.

a capon and roast lamb sirloin roast. both can be served hot or at room temp.

IMHO, you can't go wrong with a classic English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for the red meat. For the white, you can go classic with a goose, or nouveau with fish.

It's hard to go wrong with a rack of lamb for Christmas—it doesn't take long and it's delicious (and impressive!)! Here's my favorite recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/39345-rack-of-lamb-with-parmesan-herb-crust

As for white meat, I love serving everyone their own full or half-game hen—makes things feel more festive than a chicken, I think! https://food52.com/recipes/19307-game-hens-with-roasted-grape-mostarda