Herbed Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce and Yorkshire Pudding

HERBED ROAST BEEF WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE & YORKSHIRE PUDDING 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 favour of pan gravy if you insist, but to serve roast beef without Yorkshire pudding (really ore of a large popover than a pudding in the American sense) would be downright criminal.

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.

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).

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.

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