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.

Yes - the best

Thanks, Katie. Did that refer to the rib roast? And is a bun try the same as what I think of as a fairy cake tray?

Oh expatkat, this sounds so good. I'm pregnant and whenever people talk about food, I want some... NOW!

Better get out of the recipe section now....

expatkat, bun tray=fairy cake tray. Muffin tins are deeper and slightly bigger. If you use a muffin tray only half fill with batter.

Put the fat into the tray and put into hot oven. the fat and tin should be smoking hot before you add the batter, otherwise they won't rise so well.

It is a Yorkshire tradition to serve Yorkshire Puddings and gravy first. When northern folk were poor, and couldn't afford much meat (1920's general strike, WWII, 1984 Miner's strike) the meal started this way to fill up the diners before the main course.

I have never ever gone wrong with Nigella's recipe:

300ml whole milk
4 eggs
250g plain flour, sifted

Mix milk and eggs with pepper and 1/2 tsp salt, beating them well togehter. Leave to stand for 15 mins then whisk in flour. Preheat fat in tins in oven, then pu in hot oven for 20mins.

Mine really p*ssed off my competititve mother!

How do you like your beef done?
If well done then it's hard to go wrong but if you want it medium or rare you'll need to get your timings right.
A rolled rib roast is probably the most tasty and tender.
The only trick to yorkshires, as others have said, is to have the oven as hot as it will go, make sure the fat is smoking hot before you pour the batter in, and don't open the oven till they're done.
Take the beef out and let it rest while you cook the yorkshires. This helps the beef to be more moist and easier to carve and ensures you don't cremate it .

No - I meant the fairy cake tin
I buy Silverside or topside usually....don't know why

Oh, dear, here I am again:

1. Will these yorkshire puds truly rise, without raising agents like baking powder?
2. Katiemac and Pinkmama use similar recipes, but Katiemac chills the batter first. Is chilling recommended?
3. On parsnips (not big in America): I notice they have stalky cores. Do those cores need to be removed before roasting?

Despite appearances, I really am not a terrible cook, just not at all skilled with roasts (as you can see). . .

PS How do you make good gravy?

I find it v difficult to find Beef with even the slightest amount of fat on it unless it's on the bone - and the fat gives it the flavour.
Love home made yorkies - i always do individual but my mum used to do big ones - i always put mustard in my batter mix and let the batter mix stand for about 30 mins before using.
Gravy? I save the water that i par-boiled the potatos in for roasting. Use that water to get the gunge off the bottom of the roasting tin. Add copious amounts of whatever we have lying around (red wine, sherry) and let it boil vigourously until it reduces and thickens (starch from potato water sorts the thickening out).

For gravy I make a roux with flour (about 1 tbs I think though it varies) and all the fat and stuff that came off the joint, in the roasting tin, on the hob; then gradually add the saved potato water, and as the gravy gets wetter and hotter (sounds disgusting) scrape all the stuck bits off the bottom of the tin. Then it simmers until needed.

Remembering to save the potato water is the hardest part!

Yorkshires will rise without raising agent as long as you follow the hot fat and don't open the oven rules. The egg acts as a raising agent.
No need to chill batter (but does no harm) but should let it stand for a while (30 mins or more) for the flour to absorb the milk properly.
No need to core parsnips, the whole thing goes soft in the middle and chewy on the outside. Yum.
For gravy, pour some fat off from the roasting tin, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons. Add a bit of flour and stir to combine with fat and cook a bit. Add veg cooking water or stock and some booze and bubble away to thicken a bit. If it's not that tasty add a stock cube. You could also stir in a bit or mustard or horseradish for added ooomph.

I only chill it 'cos the kitchen is so hot by then. (letting it stand breaks down the (gluten?) in the flour and enables them to rise

I slice parsnips length ways so the stalk isn't an issue

Hot fat (from beef) in roasting tin
Stir in plain flour to make a roux (can brown this a bit)
Add stock (veg water by choice potatoe if necessary)

Heat & stir until cooked
Add gravey browing (or make your own)

Well, the big lunch is tomorrow, and I hope this is the last time til then I need to bother you lot. . .

1, A couple of people have suggested rubbing the joint in mustard first. I have on hand dijon mustard and coleman's mustard. Which would be better? Or neither?

1. Can I rub the mustard and salt in the night before (I'm trying to save as much work for myself as possible tomorrow morning) or is it better if I do that tomorrow?

I'll plan to check in again tomorrow evening and let you know how it goes.

Just reporting back that the beef and yorkshire pudding were both big successes. I had a two moments of uneasiness, though: first when I noticed the butcher had given me a rib roast on the bone, when I'd specifically asked for it off the bone, and second when the kitchen nearly caught on fire after the joint was in the the oven a mere 25 minutes (I'd placed it too close to the top of the oven and the kitchen started filling with smoke). But I corrected the fire thing, and then, later, dh carved the joint pretty well despite dull knives and the bone-in. It was a touch too rare, perhaps, but luckily this group didn't mind that too much.

But the yorkshire puddings: now they were something to be proud of. I used pinkmama's nigella recipe, and they were perfect. FIL hails from Yorkshire, and I was waiting for his approval, which I didn't quite get; I reckon they could never be as good as his mum's were--she was a fantastic baker, evidently. But everyone else thought they were fab.

Thanks for your help mumsnetters. I couldn't have done this without you. :)

PS Gravy was crap. I think I put it way too much flour.

Oh, well done, epk! You hero! Especially for making your own puddings . Fantastic!

(I think almost setting fire to something is par for the course when you're nervous about a meal.)