ROAST BEEF AND YORKSHIRE PUDDING RECIPES

Steps:

• Combined method for cooking the Roast Beef and the Yorkshire Pudding:.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Put the joint of beef into a shallow baking tray or tin.
• Season the meat to taste with a little salt and black pepper, and English mustard powder if using.
• Melt half of the beef dripping and pour over the meat and seasoning.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 for a further 1 1/2 hours. This will give you rare roast beef in the middle.
• When cooked, put the meat in a warm place to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving and serving, and then turn up the heat to 240C,475F or gas mark 9.
• Pour the remainder of the beef dripping into a cake baking tray (The type of baking tray used to make small cakes / muffins). Put the tray, with a little bit of dripping in each of the depressions in the tray, into the oven for 3 minutes or until you see the dripping smoke.
• Remove from the oven and pour 2 tablespoons of the Yorkshire Pudding batter (see below for batter recipe) into each cake depression and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until well puffed up and golden brown. DO NOT Open the door for the first 10 minutes!
• Meanwhile carve and portion the beef on to hot plates, and make a gravy using the juices left in the roasting. As soon as the Yorkshire pudding is ready, serve, with mustard and horseradish sauce, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• To make the Yorkshire Pudding Mixture (Batter):.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl.
• and add the beaten eggs into the centre of the heap of flour.
• Mix the water and the milk together in a jug. Pour the mixture slowly onto the flour and egg. As you start to pour the water/milk slowly beat the mixture together with a whisk. Add the salt and continue to beat. The puddings will be lighter if the batter includes a little air.
• Once all the ingredients have been beaten together leave to stand, covered by a cloth, for 40 minutes or so.
• Now you are at 'step 8' in the main cooking method. Your oven should be very hot and your tray for the puddings very hot.
• Tip: The bigger the joint, the better the meat, and it should always be cooked on the bone. The meat should have a good covering of fat, be dark red in colour (which shows it has been hung properly), and have a good marbling of fat throughout.
• Sprinkling some English mustard powder over the top of the meat gives a great crust and a fabulous taste.

Steps:

• 1. Ideally, make your Yorkie batter the night before. Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, 25ml of water and a pinch of sea salt to a smooth batter, then pop into the fridge overnight, removing when you preheat the oven for the meat (or, as a minimum, make the day you need it but leave to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes).
  2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
  3. For the gravy, place the bones in a large roasting tray. Trim, wash and roughly chop the leeks, quarter the unpeeled onions, then add to the tray and roast for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
  4. Remove the bones and veg to a large pot, keeping the tray of juices to one side. Top up the pot with 2.5 litres of water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for at least 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
  5. Place the tray over a medium heat on the hob, then add the flour and stir well to pick up any sticky bits from the bottom. Pour in the wine and port, leave to bubble away for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in a few ladles of the stock, before tipping it all back into the pot.
  6. Simmer gently for a further 2 hours, or until you reach your desired consistency.
  7. Lift out the bones and strain the gravy, skimming off any fat from the surface, then adjust the seasoning, if needed. Keep aside to reheat at the last minute.
  8. When you’re ready, remove the beef from the fridge and leave to come up to room temperature. Turn the oven up to full whack (240ºC/475ºF/gas 9).
  9. Score the beef fat in a criss-cross fashion, then rub with 1 tablespoon of oil.
  10. In a blender, blitz the peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of salt and the rosemary leaves to a fine dust, then sprinkle and pat all over the beef.
  11. Place a large roasting tray on a medium-high heat, carefully sear the beef on all sides, then transfer to the oven.
  12. Immediately reduce the temperature to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and roast for 50 minutes – this will give you medium-rare (cook for a little longer, if you prefer) – then remove to a board. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  13. Turn the oven up to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
  14. Divide the dripping between a 6-well deep Yorkshire pudding tray (8.3g per well, if you want to be super-scientific about it!), then place on the middle shelf of the oven for 5 minutes, or until the fat is smoking hot.
  15. Quickly but carefully pour the batter into the wells – each should be between half and three-quarters full. Immediately return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until they have quadrupled in volume, are deep golden all over and sound hollow when tapped.
  16. Carve and serve up the beef, adding a Yorkshire pudding to each plate, then drizzle with gravy (reheat, if needed). Delicious served with pinches of lemon-dressed watercress, horseradish and crispy roast potatoes.