Published November 1, 2002.
We cooked more than 35 rib roasts to unlock the secrets of this forgotten classic.
When we tested half a dozen recipes for this dish, we were disappointed. Too often, the meat was dry, chewy, and unevenly cooked. The accompanying jus was bland, thin, and pale. The recipes for Yorkshire pudding seemed fickle: Sometimes the pudding failed to rise and its texture was too dense; other times it cooked unevenly.
We envisioned a roast beef with a browned, flavorful exterior complementing an evenly cooked, juicy, tender, and rosy red interior. The ideal jus, made from the beef drippings, would be rich in beef flavor and deep mahogany in color, with plenty of body. As for the perfect Yorkshire pudding, it should rise dramatically high and have a crisp and lightly browned outer crust with a tender, moist, and airy interior.
For great flavor and easy carving, ask your butcher to cut the meat from a first-cut rib roast and then tie it back onto the bones. Brown the exterior of the roast, then roast the meat at 250 degrees for almost 3 hours. For a beefy, thick, jus, roast the meat on a bed of browned oxtails and onions, then finish the sauce with beef broth, chicken broth, fresh thyme, and red wine. Finally, use the fat from the oxtails to create individual Yorkshire puddings. For nicely browned puddings with tender, moist interiors, start with a hot oven (450 degrees) and lower the heat halfway through baking (to 350 degrees).
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