Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

Method

1. 01

   Mix and rest the Yorkshire batter

   Whisk the 180 g flour with 4 g of the salt. Add the 200 g beaten egg, then gradually whisk in the 300 ml milk and 80 ml cold water until smooth. Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

   

2. 02

   Start the beef hot

   Heat the oven to 230°C. Dry the beef, rub with the 20 ml oil, 12 g salt and 5 g pepper, then set it on a rack in a roasting tin. Roast for 20 minutes until the exterior is deeply browned.

   

3. 03

   Finish the roast gently

   Reduce the oven to 160°C and roast for another 45–55 minutes. For medium-rare, begin checking early and remove the beef when the centre reaches about 52–54°C. Transfer the joint to a board and reserve the roasting tin.

   

4. 04

   Rest the beef

   Rest the beef loosely tented for 30 minutes. Do not wrap it tightly; the rest lets the internal temperature even out while keeping the browned crust from steaming soft.

   

5. 05

   Make the pan gravy

   Spoon excess fat from the roasting tin, leaving about 30 ml. Set the tin over medium heat, stir in the 20 g flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the hot 500 ml stock. Simmer 8–10 minutes, scraping the browned deposits, until lightly thickened. Taste and use up to the remaining 2 g salt only if needed.

   

6. 06

   Heat the pudding tin

   Raise the oven to 220°C. Divide the 40 g beef dripping among 12 wells of a muffin or Yorkshire-pudding tin and heat the tin for 8–10 minutes until the fat is shimmering and extremely hot.

   

7. 07

   Bake the Yorkshire puddings

   Whisk the rested batter once, then quickly fill each hot well about halfway. Return the tin immediately and bake at 220°C for 22–25 minutes without opening the oven door, until the puddings are tall, crisp and deep golden.

   

8. 08

   Carve and serve

   Slice the rested beef thinly across the grain. Serve with hot Yorkshire puddings and pan gravy immediately; the beef should be rosy through the centre and the puddings crisp enough to crack at the rim.