Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings

Method

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1. Take the beef out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking. Make the Yorkshire batter now and rest it: whisk the flour, eggs, milk and salt until smooth.

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2. Heat the oven to 240°C / 465°F. Rub the beef all over with the mustard powder, flour, salt and pepper.

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3. Set the onions, carrots and thyme in a roasting tin as a trivet and sit the beef on top.

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4. Roast 20 minutes at the high heat, then reduce to 180°C / 350°F.

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5. Cook for 15 minutes per 500 g for rare, 18 for medium-rare, 22 for medium. Use a thermometer: 52°C at the centre for rare, 57°C for medium-rare.

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6. Lift the beef onto a warm board, cover loosely with foil, and rest at least 30 minutes. Do not skip or shorten this.

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7. Raise the oven to 230°C / 445°F. Divide the dripping between a 12-hole bun tin and heat 10 minutes until smoking.

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8. Pour the batter into the smoking fat, filling each hole halfway, and bake 20 to 22 minutes without opening the door.

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9. For the gravy, pour off most of the fat from the roasting tin, set it over heat, stir in the flour, then the wine, scraping hard. Add the stock and Worcestershire, simmer 10 minutes, strain, and season.

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10. Carve the beef thickly against the grain and serve with the puddings and gravy.

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Chef’s Tips

• A meat thermometer removes all the guesswork. Weight-based timings are only a starting point.
• Rest for 30 minutes minimum. The beef stays hot and carves far better.
• The Yorkshires need the oven at full heat and the fat smoking. That is why they go in after the beef comes out.

Pairing Suggestions

• Roast potatoes, of course
• Horseradish sauce and English mustard
• A good claret or a pint of bitter

Storage & Reheating

Cold roast beef keeps 3 days and makes excellent sandwiches. Yorkshires keep 2 days and re-crisp at 200°C / 390°F for 4 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.