Ingredients

• Fore rib beef (about 4 kgs/9 lbs)
• French trimmed
• on the bone
• chined
• olive oil
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 eggs
• 115g/4oz flour
• 275ml/½ pint milk
• beef dripping
• salt

Directions

• Preheat the oven to its highest setting.
• Rub the beef with the olive oil
• salt and pepper all over.
• Put a heavy-based roasting tray on the hob and when hot
• add the beef.
• Sear the beef quickly on all sides to colour and crisp the outside.
• Transfer the beef immediately to the oven and leave the oven on its highest setting (about 240C/460F/Gas 8) for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and roast for half an hour per kilo for rare
• adding another ten minutes per kilo for medium rare
• 20 minutes per kilo for medium
• and 30 minutes per kilo for well done.
• Remove the beef from the oven
• transfer it to a carving board and cover with foil. Allow it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• For the Yorkshire pudding
• mix together the eggs
• flour and a pinch of salt.
• Add the milk
• stirring constantly
• until you have a runny batter.
• Leave this to rest
• covered
• in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
• Place 1cm/½in of beef dripping in the bottom of each pudding mould
• or if you are using a rectangular roasting tray
• place 1cm/½in of beef dripping across the bottom.
• Heat the dripping in the oven (at 240C/460F/Gas 8) for about ten minutes
• until it is piping hot.
• Remove the roasting tray from the oven
• pour in the batter
• and immediately return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes
• until golden brown and crispy
• making sure not to open the oven door for the first 20 minutes.
• Serve immediately with the carved roast beef.