Joint and Yorkshire Pudding: am I out of my league?

[expatkat]

Am thinking of preparing this for Sunday lunch with in-laws (8 of us total). Never done it though. Is Yorkshire pudding very difficult, ie should I practice beforehand? How about the roast: any recipes or suggestions or tips? I've done roasts before, but not beef. TIA.

We use Aunt Bettys (think that's what it's called) yorkshires and they taste yummy. You just stick them in the oven and ta-da - perfect!

Auntie Bessie's is what you mean!
You can buy either ready made ones to heat up or batter mix to rise yourself. Making them yourself isn't that hard, the trick is to make sure you heat the fat in the yorkshire tin really well before pouring the batter in. Will find you a recipe and be back!

practise before if u wish, its yummy.

its basic pancake mix, slightly thicker i make it. i heat the bun tray up i nthe oven with a dribble of oil in each section, on gas mark 8 whilst making the batter, put the batter in, pop in the oven for 20 or so minutes. perfect yorkshire puds!!

thanks YG - thought it didn't sound quite right!!

definitely cheat with the aunt bessies

roasts are really easy

I'd smother it in mustard and garlic .. maybe push some slices of garlic in the meat (make little cuts) about an hour before cooking then just slam it in the oven

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yorkshire pud is also yummy as a pudding, Nigella did it so I tried it and its true, serve with golden syrup and cream! MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm

Do small Yorkshires - half a pint of milk (not skimmed) 4oz Plain flour, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of oil/melted lard. Whisk until smooth and stand in the fridge for at least half an hour(up to 3 hrs)

40 mins before you are ready to eat put the oven up high (take meat etc out first). Prepare a bun tray with 1-2 teaspoons of dripping (from the roast)or oil and then put your bun tray in to heat. After 10 mins remove the tray (carefully - the oil may have started to smoke a little) and using a jug pour a little batter into each. Put them in to the oven and try not to look until 20 mins or so...then leave in if they need more or remove.

Good Luck

PS with Beef I prefer well done - but some prefer medium or rare.....

Also Roast Parsnip is good with R.Beef

Beef's dead easy too (veggie but used to cook 3 or 4 joints every Sunday in previous incarnation as pub landlady).

Buy topside (budget) or sirloin (splashing out) - get butcher to sell you a rolled joint. Heat the oven as hot as it gets. Rub fatty side of beef with a handful of flour & salt (can spread with mustard first if liked). Place it (fat side up) in a good heavy roasting tin, & pour about 1cm depth water round it.

Roast on the high temp for half an hour, then lower to GM 4ish & give it another 15 - 20 minutes or so per pound, depending on whether you like it rare or well done.

Scrape the gunge from the tin when cooked & incorporate into the gravy!

If you've got a liquidiser then its very easy. Just put in 2 egge,8oz flour, half pint milk, pinch salt, and whizz it all up for few seconds. Its important to have fat hot before you pour in batter. Rapeseed oil means it turns out easily - doesn't stick, but beef dripping is the old fashioned traditional fat to use.

For Yorkshires as a dessert - put just half the amount of batter in, then cook for 10 mins, add a dollop of jam, then add the rest of the batter.

They are gorgeous and burning your tongue on the jam is all part of the experience!

My mum always did/does Yorkshires every Sunday lunch, and we had them first on their own as a starter before the meal. Anyone else had this? Or still does?

I can make nice Yorkshires (not as good as my mum's though), but I can't do the gravy.

Rosiin, i always pinch one when serving up dinner!!

roisin - the first time my dad went to my mams paretns house many years ago, they gave him his yorkshires first - and he thought it was all he was getting.....bit of a yorkshire thing? (mams paretns were from leeds...)

(or buy frozen yorkshires and a pre-cooked chicken - :))

Sorry forgot to add that in my experience it's MUCH easier to cook the joint & leave it somewhere warm whilst you whack the oven up full blast again for the yorkies - the fibres 'relax' & make it more tender, & it's unlikely to go cold in the 20 minutes or so little puds take to cook - & if it's not exactly red hot by the time they're done, not to worry, you're about to pour hot gravy over it!

i am starving now!!!

I'm so touched by all these responses. Thanks especially for that basic info, Cinderella, about what cut to ask for and how I should specify a rolled joint. Thanks also for the Aunt Bessie's tip, and the recipes, everyone. If I remember, I'll report back on how it goes.

I can't add anything to the advice below, except to say that I may have a go at Yorkies having read this thread - never tried them before, having always assumed that as an Irishwoman I'd be genetically incapable.

But... how do you all manage to cook so well, if you've been given a rolled joint first??

If you go with the frozen Yorkshires, get the uncooked ones that need about 20 mins in the oven. The pre-cooked ones only need about 4 mins and that doesn't leave a lot of flexibility - plus they're usually a bit crunchy, the others are squidgy and delish.

Lots of luck, epk!

and LOL

Oh, and, sorry to contradict CarrieG but I would get a rib roast - on or off the bone - there is more fat on it and that helps it to be tender. V tasty too. If you get eg topside it's quite lean and can be tough.

If you are pushing the boat out a bit, have a look at the Jamie Oliver roasts in Sainsburys.

I missed the rolled joint!

And I said half pint milk - should have said l pint! Sorry!

I vote for real yorkshire pudding made with the beef drippings... it's one of my favorites... mmmmmmmmmm Sory, but Aunt Bessie just isn't the same. The real one has much more flavor. However, Aunt Bessie's are about impossible to ruin, so you could always have back up.

Thanks Janh et al for the additional tips. I'm going to try my own yorkshire puds, but I'll get some frozen ones for back-up.

Question: is a muffin tin, eg the sort of baking thingie you use for fairy cakes, suitable for yorkshire puddings?

And does anyone disagree with Janh about the rib roast? I'll def get it off the bone; don't want to faff around trying to carve it. I'm going for something a little fatty, I suppose, from the point of view of tenderness and drippings.

Thanks again, all.