Roast beef with gravy and Yorkshire pudding

English roast beef - the perfect piece for roasting, elegantly wrapped in a quality layer of beef fat and tied for optimal shape and taste.

Preparing roast beef

• Preparing the meat:
  Let the meat come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

• Baking dish base:
  Place the halved onion, carrot and garlic in a baking dish and add a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. These ingredients serve as an aromatic base and also help create a delicious sauce.

• Roasting meat:
  Before baking, the meat is briefly seared in a pan with hot oil or beef fat to brown it on all sides and give it a distinctive crust.

• Roast:
  The roasted meat is transferred to a baking dish, ideally on a wire rack, or placed directly on the vegetable layer. A little water or white wine is added to the baking dish (the meat should not be submerged in the liquid, however) and the dish is placed in a preheated oven.
  Roast beef is first roasted for 30 minutes and then 20 minutes per kilogram of meat is added to the total time for a medium-rare version or 30 minutes per kilogram for a more well-done version (medium).
  During baking, check to see if the vegetables are burning and add more liquid as needed – this will serve as the base for the sauce. Repeated oven openings should be limited to maintain a stable temperature.

• Finishing and resting:
  After the required time has passed, the meat is removed from the oven and allowed to rest for at least 15 minutes, ideally covered with foil. In the meantime, the remaining vegetable juices and vegetable pieces are blended to create an aromatic sauce.

• Serving:
  The roast beef is then cut into slices and served with the prepared sauce.

Preparing Yorkshire puddings

• Dough:
  Mix 200 ml milk, 4 eggs and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add 150 g plain flour and mix well. Let the dough cool in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

• Roast:
  Use a muffin tin – pour a little oil or beef lard into each well and preheat the oven to a very high temperature so that the fat is hot (even to the point of smoking).
  Pour the cold batter into the hot tin about halfway full. Then close the oven door and let the Yorkshire puddings bake for about 20 minutes. Watch the batter rise nicely during baking, but do not open the oven during baking.

• Safety:
  Extreme caution should be exercised when handling hot fat. Keep children out of the area.

This recipe offers a balanced and tasty dish, where crispy crust, tender meat and rich sauce combine perfectly, complemented by traditional Yorkshire puddings.