Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Freddie Johnson in San Antonio, Texas for this classic food funny:

A man walked into a bar and ordered martini after martini, each time
removing the olives and placing them in a jar. When the jar was filled
with olives and all the drinks consumed, he started to leave. "S'cuse
me", said a customer who was puzzled over what the man had done, "what was that all about?"

"Nothin'," said the man, "my wife just sent me out for a jar of olives!"

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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People who are critical of British cooking would do well to remind
themselves that this is the quintessential British dish. The English
traditionally carve their roast beef into very thin slices, but I prefer
the American style of serving it in slices as thick as the diner can
manage. You can omit the horseradish sauce in favor of pan gravy if you
insist, but to serve roast beef without Yorkshire pudding (really more
of a large popover than a pudding in the American sense) would be downright criminal.

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

1 3-rib standing rib roast (about 7 lbs, 3.2 Kg)
1/4 cup (60 ml) Dijon-style mustard
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
2 tsp (10 ml) dried thyme
2 tsp (10 ml) dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For best results, age the beef for 4 to 7 days. Unwrap the roast, dry it
thoroughly with paper towels, and place it on a wire rack set over a pan
lined with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 4 to 7 days. Before
cooking, trim off any parts that are completely dehydrated.

Whether you age the beef or not, allow the roast to sit at room
temperature for 3 to 4 hours before cooking. Tie segments of cooking
twine around the roast, between and parallel to the ribs, to prevent the
outer layer of meat from separating from the rest of the roast during
cooking. Place the roast rib-side down on a wire rack in a large
roasting pan. Spread the top and sides with the mustard. Combine the
remaining ingredients and spread over the mustard. Place in a preheated
200F (95C) oven until the internal temperature reaches 130F (55C) for
medium-rare, about 3 1/2 hours, or 30 minutes per pound. Remove from the
oven and let stand 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Reserve the drippings for the Yorkshire pudding.

To carve, stand the roast up so the bones are pointing upward. Remove
the twine and slide a long carving knife along the ribs to separate the
meat from the bones. Place cut-side down and cut across the grain into thick slices.
Serves 6 to 8.

Yorkshire Pudding

2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
2 Tbs (30 ml) beef drippings

Combine the egg, flour, milk, and salt in an electric blender. Process
at high speed for 2 to 3 seconds. Turn off the machine and scrape down
the sides of the jar. Blend for 40 seconds. To make by hand, beat the
eggs and salt until frothy. Beat in the flour gradually, followed by the
milk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat the beef drippings in a
large roasting pan (you may use the one the roast was cooked in after
removing the rest of the drippings) over moderate heat until the
drippings are hot and begin to bubble. Beat the batter briefly and pour
into the hot roasting pan. Place in a preheated 375F (190C) oven and
bake for about 30 minutes, until the batter is crisp and brown and has
risen up the sides of the pan. Cut the pudding into squares and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.

Horseradish Sauce

1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
3 Tbs (45 ml) prepared horseradish, or to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) Dijon-style mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups (310 ml).
Received on Tue Jun 16 18:36:33 2009